Shoujo Fullmetal Alchemist: Alternate Version
by NaokoElric2250
Summary: When Edwina and Alphonsa Elric try to perform Human Transmutation, something went drastically wrong. Now, a few years later, they must find a way to restore themselves. Fem!Ed, Fem!Al, Male!Winry, Fem!Roy, Male!Riza, and others. Based on 2003 Anime.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_**For A Mother's Love**_

They were ready. They were going to bring their beloved mother back into the living world.

The 11-year-old and her year-younger sister sat in the basement of their house. The basement was full of chemicals and ingredients needed to resurrect their mother. It also contained two strange suits of amour that the siblings had never been told about. The older girl finished drawing the circular symbol, known as a Transmutation Circle, on the floor. "I'm done," she said happily.

She then looked at her sister, who was looking nervous, and asked, "Al?"

"Okay..." the younger girl replied.

"Don't worry," the elder child assured her, and looked down at the Transmutation Circle, "it's perfect."

The older sister looked back at her younger sister and said, seriously, "Let's do this."

"Okay," replied the younger child.

The children kneeled over and placed their hands on the edge of the Transmutation Circle on the floor, and a golden light blazed out of it. A strong wind blasted around the dim basement, catching the clothes and hair of the two children. They smiled, it was going to work. Soon they were going to see the smiling face of their mother again.

_Alchemy is a science where one understands the structure of a matter, breaks it down, then rebuilds it. If used correctly, it can turn plain lead into gold. However, since it is a science the principles of nature still apply…_

There was a flash of red light from the circular symbol, and its colour changed from golden to purple. The older girl's smile faded and she looked worried.

_You can only create something of a certain mass with something of the same mass._

The basement went pitch black.

_It is the principle of equivalent trade. _

A child's scream filled the still night air of Rizenbul Village, February 1910. It started to rain.

A boy the same age as the older sister ran out of his house, crying, "What?" What happened?" The boy's grandmother and barking pet dog ran up next to him.

"Calm down, Winter," said the grandmother. The boy continued to stare in fear at the house so near his own, the house where his two best friends lived, the house that now glowed in a eerie purple light coming from the inside, the house where the scream had came from.

_The principle of equivalent trade states that in order to gain something, you must present something of equal value. Perhaps that is a lesson…_

A person clad in military wear was watching the glowing house from a distance.

…_That people cannot gain anything with out making sacrifices._

The purple light faded. It was dark and the basement was full of thick dust.

"Al…Al?" the older sister asked looking franticly around for her now missing sister.

"Alphonsa!" the girl screamed her sister's full name. "Damn it, this can't be happening..." The girl gasped in pain.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out…" she continued, and sniffed. "Damn it!" she screamed again.

There was blood all over the floor, the girl's own blood. She had lost her left leg, as payment for what she had tried to accomplish, and though it may have been excruciating, her loss was nothing compared to what had happened to her sister. She had completely gone.

"It took my leg!" the girl screamed. Blood was pouring from the stump that a while ago had been her left leg. She was being consumed by the pain of her losses and there was nothing she could do.

The girl noticed something was lying on the Transmutation Circle. Through the dust, the girl saw what she thought was a human hand. It worked, her mother was back. Then the girl saw all of what she and her sister had created. The girl's eyes widened in fear and shock. It defiantly was not human; it could have been described as anything but the girl's mother.

Another scream split the night air…

* * *

**Author's Notes: What do think dear readers? Just in case anyone was wondering "Alphonsa" is a real name, it is the female equivalent to Alphonse and also Alphonso. It is also kind of ironic, as "Alphonsa" means "Eagar for war" and we all know Al is a Pasicfist, haha. Pretty cool, eh? PLease Review.**

**Thank you ^_^**


	2. To Challenge the Sun

****

Chapter 1

_**To Challenge the Sun**_

Edwina Elric hated deserts. They were so hot and everywhere you looked there was nothing but sand. She had being walking for hours and she was exhausted.

Her clothes were not much help either. She was clad her usual black tight-fitting leather trousers with a brown leather belt and a black tank top. Over her tank top, she wore a thin, high-collared jacket that fastened with a thick silver clip at her neck. The end of the sleeves, hem and the top of the jacket were white.

Over this initial outfit, Edwina wore a hooded red coat that fell to just below her shins. The coat hem had a spilt in the hem for easier movement and a single button at the top. It also bore the flamel, on its back, in black. On her feet, she wore black, leather boots with flat red soles that went half way to her knees and had a zip running from halfway to the top of the boots. Lastly, she wore white cloth gloves on her hands.

"I'm hungry…" Edwina said wanly.

She could not take it any more and she collapsed forwards on the ground, her heavy brown suitcase thudding down next to her.

"If there was at least some grass, I could turn it into bread and eat it…" Edwina mumbled.

The silence around the girl became apparent. Her younger sister was missing again.

"Al? Al? Where are you?" Edwina called. "Al? Al!"

"Down here!"

A shriek split the blistering air when an armour and leather hand erupted from the sand and grabbed Edwina's ankle.

"Help me, Nee-san!" wailed the hollow, 10-year-old voice of Alphonsa Elric.

Edwina sighed. "You sank again?"

With a great deal of effect Edwina hauled her younger sister out of the sand, and crouched near the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Even though they were sisters, Edwina and Alphonsa Elric were quite the opposite of each other.

Edwina Elric was 15-years-old, with hip length, sandy golden-blonde hair tied back in a low plait, with a chin length fringe that was spilt in the middle and hung down either side of her face, and golden eyes the same shade as her hair. She had a slim, slender slightly muscled figure. She was known not only for her bright mind, and for her incredible ability in Alchemy, but also for her short temper and loud mouth. However, her temper was not the only short thing about her. She stood at a mere four feet and ninety inches. She was _very_ sensitive about this issue.

Alphonsa Elric was soft spoken and level-headed. At 14-years-old, only a one year separated her and her older sister. Alphonsa was sweet, kind, polite, and rarely did she lose her temper. She was rather strange looking, as she looked like she was wearing an unnaturally wide, dark grey, seven-foot tall suit of armour. The armour had a grey-lilac cloth around its waist and three spikes jutting out from each of the shoulders, and the flamel was emblazed, in red, on the left shoulder. The breastplate stuck outwards. A protective guard on the neck surrounded the helmet, which had a long, thin, feather coming out of the top of it, white glowing eyes, zigzag mouth and a horn in middle of the forehead.

People rarely asked Alphonsa about the fact that she wore amour, and for this, she was glad, as it would be difficult too explain the fact there wasn't actually someone inside the armour to wear it.

"You're really beginning to piss me off,Al. If you that _again, _I'm leaving you behind!" Edwina yelled. It was clear she had gotten her breath back.

"But, Nee-san…" Alphonsa began.

"No buts!" Edwina yelled, standing and kicking the breastplate of Alphonsa's armour, which promptly fell off, causing a miniature avalanche of sand to cascade and bury the furious girl.

"Al…" Edwina's voice was dangerously low. Alphonsa inched away, but she was not fast enough. Next thing she knew, Alphonsa was running around in a circle, being chased by her screaming sister.

"Wait, Al!" Edwina cried.

"No, I won't!" Alphonsa shouted back.

"Stop!"

"No!"

"Do one of them!"

"I can't decide on one!"

That was how it was. The two sisters cared deeply for each other, but they due to their personality differences, they did not always get on.

* * *

The Elric sisters had finally arrived at their destination: The normally quiet Eastern Frontier city of Liore. Liore was a busy city, people walked around doing their work or chatting while children played games on the streets. Due to the fact the Loire was next to a desert, most of its inhabitants had dark skin.

No one paid much attention to the two girls, or rather to those people, one girl and a person in a suit of armour.

By now, Edwina could hardly stand upright. _So thirsty…so tired… _the girl thought to herself. She was also still surprised that Alphonsa could reattach her breastplate while running.

"Are you okay, Nee-san?" asked Alphonsa, watching her sister, her face unable to empress her concern.

"It's your fault for not stopping," Edwina croaked back.

"I doubt _anyone _would stop in that sort of situation, even if they were told too." Alphonsa's voice hinted at a giggle.

"Is that so? That's nice…"

Edwina stopped abruptly, staring down an empty street. She had found a drinking fountain. "Water!" she cried in delight and pointed. "It's water!"

Letting her suitcase drop to the ground, Edwina ran towards the fountain, a smile on her face.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa shouted, but her cry fell on deaf ears.

"Water!" Edwina cried, repeatedly as she ran to the fountain. However, her smile and sudden good mood was washed away when she reached the fountain, and she frowned, as it did not contain water, but a red liquid.

"This must be what I smelled a while ago," the young woman sadly said.

"Nee-san?" clutching the suitcase, Alphonsa had managed to catch up with her sister.

Edwina took the cup that was on the rim of the fountain, filled it and examined the liquid.

"Blood?" asked Alphonsa, her voice concerned again. "Red wine," Edwina replied simply.

"Hey!" cried a rough voice as its owner yanked Edwina away from the fountain by her long plait. Edwina twisted her head around to look at her captor. It was a middle-aged man with dark skin and a moustache. The man was dressed in a dark green tunic, white apron and a brown hat on his head. "Children aren't allowed to use this place!" said the man, shaking the teenager in his grip.

* * *

The man had escorted Edwina and Alphonsa to his bar, and giving the patched girl a glass of orange juice. He had offered Alphonsa a drink too, but she refused. After Edwina has clenched her thirst, the two girls explained their situation. Now that he had heard their story, the moustached man was laughing, and said, "My apologies. Travellers like you would not have known that there's a spring of wine."

"Liore must be a wealthy city to have one," Edwina said, slightly in awe.

"Yeah, it's all thanks too– oh, I forgot…" The man reached up and pushed a small switch, which activated a small radio at the end of the wire the switch was attached to.

Calm music filled the air, and Edwina and Alphonsa turned around as the other citizens of Liore turned their own radios on. After a few moments, a deep, solemn voice spoke on the radios.

"_To thy children of God who live on this earth…pray and thou will be saved. The Sun God Leto shines light upon thy."_

"What is this? A religious broadcast?" Edwina asked, frowning and turning back to the bartender.

"_As the avatar of Leto and thy father…" _continued the voice on the radio.

"Are you guys street performers or something?" asked the moustached man.

At this, Edwina choked and glared up at the man, sending juice spilling on the shop top in front of her.

"Where did you get _that _idea, old man?" she shirked.

"If you're not performers, why did you come here?"

"We're looking for something…so what is this broadcast?" Edwina said returning to calmness.

"It's Cornello-sama," the man replied.

"Who's that?"

The bartender's eyed widened in absolute shock as he leaned into the young woman's face. "You don't know the representative of the great Sun God, Leto?" he gasped.

"That's why I asked…" Edwina muttered.

"Cornello-sama can perform miracles," said a man, appearing behind Edwina.

"It's thanks to him that this city, which was abandoned in the desert, has become so wealthy," added another.

Edwina was getting uncomfortable with all the people gathering around her; sometimes she just did not like it. She guessed it was her female instinct.

"Cornello-sama is an amazing person!"

"Yes, what he does can only be described as miracles."

"I'm not interested in religion." Edwina said, unable to take any more. "Let's go, Al"

"Okay…" Alphonsa replied a little disheartened as she was enjoying the conversation.

As she and Edwina got up, Alphonsa accidentally knocked the shelf where the radio was, and caused it to smash into many pieces and the bartender to cry out.

"Hey now, miss! This is what happens when you are dressed like this!"

"Sorry about that, I'll fix it." Edwina quickly said. She did not want Alphonsa getting upset.

"Fix?" echoed the bartender.

"I'm sorry," Alphonsa said, a little hurt. "This armour is what my Nee-san used to save my life a few years ago. I wear it because of that reason. I'm sorry!"

"Oh?" said the bartender, feeling a little awkward.

"Don't worry sir, Nee-san, I'll fix the radio." Alphonsa wanted to smile helpfully at the man, but she knew she couldn't.

After about fifteen minutes of concentration, Alphonsa had drawn a circular symbol underneath the broken radio. The crowd watched in fascination.

"What is that?" asked the moustached bartender.

"It's a Transmutation Circle," Edwina, now leaning causally against the bar, replied.

"Okay," Alphonsa said, smiling a smile that no one except her was able to acknowledge. "I'm starting now! Everyone, please keep your distance."

Alphonsa raised her hands and crossed them over each other. What looked like blue lightening shoot out of the armour girl's hands hitting the broken shards of the radio, throwing up clouds of dust and causing the spectators to flinch. The dust slowly cleared.

"_My love, the love of the avatar of Leto…is constantly being given to all of thy." _There the radio was, looking as if it were brand new, the sound of the "Avatar of Leto" loud and clear. The crowd all gasped in amazement.

"That was amazing!" cried the shocked bartender. "You are able to perform miracles just like Cornello-sama?"

"What's that supposed to be?" laughed Edwina.

"We're alchemists," Alphonsa added, carrying the radio to the bar counter and carefully placing it down. _Al is getting better and better, _Edwina thought proudly as she inspected Alphonsa's handiwork. _I wonder if soon she will be able to transmute without a circle._

"The name 'Elric sisters' should be pretty famous." Edwina boasted. Instead of the praise, she expected when saying that she and Alphonsa were the famous 'Elric sisters' the crowd members whispered together in confusion.

"Alchemists?"

"So it wasn't a miracle?"

"I have never heard of any alchemists in this area."

Edwina looked a little disappointed.

"The Elric sisters…then you must be the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edwina Elric?"

Said girl jumped at the sudden voice. She turned her head to her right, where the voice had come from. Leaning casually against the bar was a beautiful woman. Her long locks of curly black hair fell out from under her dark grey cloak, into a sharp featured, pale face. Edwina felt stupid. How could she have not noticed this woman sitting so close to her?

"You are quite famous around East City, you know," the woman continued.

At this, the crowd turned all their attention to Alphonsa and bombarded her with praise and questions.

"That's amazing!"

"I see you're called the Fullmetal Alchemist because you wear this armour."

"You're very famous?"

"Would you come to my daughter's birthday party? Its one week's time."

"Um…I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist," Alphonsa raised her hands in defence as she spoke. "She is." Alphonsa pointed at Edwina

"What?" said one member of the crowd, while the rest became silent. They all turned to look at the older Elric.

"You mean the small shorty over there is?" inquired another member of the crowd. That did it. Edwina _hated _being called short or small. Exploding in a fit of rage, the girl grabbed hold of two the men by their collars. Raising them up she spun the men around in an impressive show of strength.

"WHO DID YOU SAY WAS SMALL LIKE A GRAIN OF RICE AND DOSEN'T SHOW UP IN YOUR EYES!" the livid young woman shrieked at the very top of her lungs.

"We didn't say that!" panicked the poor men.

"Things seem lively today," The barman heard a familiar voice. He turned to a pretty, young woman approach the bar. She had dark skin, sparkling brown eyes, and long brown hair with pink bangs framing her lovely face. The gentle breeze blew her hair and sleeveless cream dress and jingled the bangles around her wrist.

"Ah, Rosé," the barman smiled at his young friend as she adjusted the paper bag in her arms, fixed her slip on sandals which were falling off, and returned his smile.

At the sound of her voice, Edwina and Alphonsa looked up from their activities. Edwina stopped her activity of swinging the men around and Alphonsa stopped trying to stop the swinging around of the men. They both looked at the new person. Rosé gave another bright smile to the girls and pleased when she received one in return.

"I have never seen you two before. What are your names?" Rosé asked the sisters.

"I'm Alphonsa Elric, pleased to meet you, Rosé-san," Alphonsa politely introduced herself, bowing deeply to the black and pink haired girl.

Throwing the two men in her grip aside, Edwina pointed proudly at herself and said, "I am the Fullmetal Alchemist, and older sister to Alphonsa, Edwina Elric."

"What? You are the older sister? Strange, older siblings are usually taller than younger ones," said Rosé, confused. Edwina silently fumed.

"Now, now…" Alphonsa said, trying to calm her sister. The barmen laughed. The older Elric girl was so easily angered at even the implication of her being short. He turned back to Rosé, and asked, "Rosé, you are finished buying the offerings, then?"

"Yes."

"Then can you take these two the church with you? They seem to be looking for something; perhaps they could find guidance from God."

"N-no, we're just…" began Alphonsa.

"Of course I will. We have a place where travellers can rest, so you both can spend the night there." Rosé kindly officered.

"But," said Alphonsa. She hated to intrude.

"Really? Then let's take her offer, Al." Edwina smiled.

Alphonsa though for a few moments. "Okay then," she agreed.

"Great! Follow me," Rosé said, smiling, and she set off.

Everyone watched happily as the three girls walked away.

"Rosé is open again. I think she is returned to her normal self," said a man sitting at the bar.

"Yeah. It's thanks to the High Priest. It was such a tragedy she suffered too."

No one noticed the woman with the curly black hair smirk knowingly and leave.

By now much further away from the bar, Rosé was humming a song as she walked while the other two girls along in silence behind her. Edwina decided to break that silence.

"Hey Al, didn't that woman at the bar seem familiar?" She asked, keeping her voice low so that the humming Rosé would not hear.

"Come to think of it, yeah she did," Alphonsa replied.

"Its okay." said Rosé, turning her head to look at her new friends. "I'm sure Cornello-sama will help you find what you are looking for."

Edwina smiled at this, but knew better than to hope for things.

"Also…" started Rosé, pulling Edwina form her mussing, "If you pray enough, you will grow taller." Rosé finished with a laugh.

"What did you say?" cried Edwina.

Waving one of her fists the older Elric sister began to chase after Rosé, her red coat flapping behind her as she ran.

"I'm sorry!" Rosé cried as she tried to avoid the irate younger girl.

"Who are you calling a bean?"

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa ran after her sister to try to stop her from beating the innocent Rosé.

* * *

"_Pray and thy wish will come true. May all children be blessed today and tomorrow with the grace of light." _Father Cornello smiled as he finished his broadcast for that day. He pressed the switch off on his radio. Three of the lower priests approached him.

"Thank you for you hard work, High Priest," said Clay, the first priest.

"Thank you very much for your graceful words," Added the second.

The High Priest Cornello was a kind looking man when friendly, but frightening when angry. He had a completely bald head, a shaven face and a round, slightly puffed out stomach. He, just like all the priests, was wearing a black priest's robe with a white undergarment. What made him different for other priests, though, was the strange ring on his left hand that had a red gem on it.

"High Priest Cornello!"

"Ah, Rosé," replied Father Cornello, smiling at his most faithful follower. Rosé took this a cue to approach the High Priest's desk.

"I want to ask you a question," said Rosé, clasping her hands together. "Will it be alright to let some travellers stay at the church?"

"You serve God daily, Rosé," replied Cornello.

"Yes. I live to serve Leto, so…" she trailed off.

Rosé felt a shadow fall across her and looked up the see the Father Cornello place his hands on her shoulders and smile. She looked up at him.

"God watches your deeds. But more time is needed for the miracle you desire to occur," the priest said solemnly.

"I understand…" Rosé looked at the ground, saddened as the memories began to play in her head again.

* * *

Edwina and Alphonsa had shown to a room above the main church hall. Edwina sat in a plush armchair, was watching over Rosé, who had left them to get settled. Rosé stood in the graveyard, silently staring at the grave in front of her.

"I heard that is Rosé-san's boyfriend," Alphonsa leaned and told her older sister. "She has no any relatives and her boyfriend died in an accident, so she sought High Priest Cornello's teachings," the younger girl continued.

"The dead cannot come back to life," Edwina replied.

"I heard they would come back to life."

"Really, how?"

"Those who live by the ways of God are granted an indestructible soul. Those who die are granted resurrection. Proof had been shown through the miracles of God."

"Sounds fake to m– huh?"

Edwina saw the Cornello along, with another priest, were now standing with Rosé, talking to her. The sisters stained to catch some of the conversation but heard nothing. Eventually they had to no choice but to give up.

* * *

The next day, High Priest Cornello decided to show the townspeople his miracles again. He had taken a glass of dirty water from a woman in the crowd and told her to watch him turn it into wine. Sure enough after placing his hand on the glass, a red light radiated from the ring on his hand and the glass became filled with red wine. Almost he whole the crowd cheered enthusiastically. All expect Edwina and Alphonsa Elric.

Cornello proceeded to touch a log. Activating his ring again, he changed the log into a statue of the Sun God Leto. The Elrics still did not cheer.

"What do you think of this, Al?" Edwina asked her younger sister.

"It's very clear that the transmutation response is alchemy," Alphonsa replied.

"Yeah but the laws–" Edwina began, but was interrupted.

"Hey, you two. What do you make of Cornello-sama's miracles?"

It was Rosé.

"It's not miracles. It's alchemy. Cornello is nothing but a fraud." Edwina' curtly replied.

Rosé turned and glowered at Edwina.

"We're not completely sure just yet, but he does ignore some laws," Alphonsa quickly said, waving her hands. She did not want to fell out with Rosé as she though she was a nice young woman.

"What do you mean, laws?" asked Rosé.

Edwina hopped down from her suitcase, which she had been using to elevate her high enough see to see what was going on, and walked forward a little bit.

"Alchemy cannot create something from nothing. It a scientific technique that abides the laws of nature," Edwina explained to Rosé.

"You can only create something of a certain mass with something of the same mass." Alphonsa added. "It's the same idea when I was only able to create a radio the same size as the broken one. I couldn't have changed it into something else, such as larger radio, a piece of paper, or a tree."

"To create something, you must present something of equal value." Edwina further added then pointed at Cornello and continued, "That old man is ignoring that rude."

"So, it's a miracle!" Rosé snapped.

The three girls watched as a sad little girl walked up to Cornello, a dead bird clutched in her hands. Cornello gently placed his hand upon the lifeless animal and again a red light came out if his ring, surrounding the bird. The lay there for a few then it opened its bright red eyes. The little girl gasped in happiness as the bird flapped onto the priest's shoulder. The cheered again.

Edwina clenched her hands, anger swelling up in her. _What? He's even able to bring the dead back to life? _She thought, with the slightest twinge of jealousy.

"Are you able to perform miracles such as that one with alchemy?" Rosé asked, breaking Edwina's thoughts for the second time.

Cornello looked around, looking for more people to show his powers too, when he spotted Rosé standing with the famous two people he had told about.

"The Elric sisters?" He mused. Cornello returned to his office and summoned his accountant.  
"I have being told that the older sister received the title of National State Alchemist at the age of twelve. She is known as The Fullmetal Alchemist," Cornello informed Accountant Clay.

"What? That little runt?" Clay exclaimed.

"She is a dog of the military." Cornello continued. "The military has set its eyes on this wealthy city, and is trying to interfere with our affairs. I must protect my people from them."

"I abide by the will of God," Clay said with a small bow.

"Thank you for letting us know." Cornello said with a slight smirk.

Clay took that as sign to leave.

"I am not really sure that man can do it alone," said a female voice hidden in the shadow.

"I have a second plan, just in case," Cornello assured the grey cloak-wearing woman.

A smirk graced the woman's feathers.

Meanwhile, in the main church hall, Rosé had finished her daily praying and was now doing her usual cleaning in the church hall. Edwina, curious as to the customs of a religious person, had decided to watch and was lounging on a church bench.

"So, if you serve God, without any questions…will the dead eventually come back to life?" Edwina asked the older girl.

Rosé turned to the blonde young woman and simply answered, "yes."

Edwina sighed. She reached onto her red coat and pulled out a small alchemy book, opening it a page she read aloud, "Water, 35 litres. Carbon, 20kg. Ammonia, 4 litres. Lime, 1.5kg. Phosphorus 800g. Salt, 250g. Nitre, 100g. Sulphur, 8og. Fluorine, 7.5g. Iron, 5g. Silicon, 3g. And traces of fifteen other elements."

"What is that a list of?" asked a very confused Rosé.

"These are the elements that make up an average adult human body." Edwina closed the book and her eyes, then continued, "current science knows this much. But there is yet to be a successful case of artificially creating a human body."

Edwina opened her eyes and straightened up.

"Scientists have researched for what is missing for the past few hundred years. I believe their hard work holds significance, unlike just praying and waiting."

Rosé felt rage rising in her again.

"Just as a side note, you can buy the elemental ingredients at the market with the pocket money of a child." Edwina gave a small laugh before continuing, "Humans are so cheaply made."

"People are not things! Are you trying to commit blasphemy?" Rosé shouted.

"Alchemists are scientists, so they do not believe in an uncertain existence, such as God." Edwina calmly replied, before getting up and walking toward the priest alter and examining the statue of Leto that stood behind it.

"Don't you think it's ironic that alchemists are the closest to God?" The short girl asked the religious woman.

"You are not God." Rosé answered.

"Nor is the sun a God. It is just a ball of high temperature. If you get to close to the sun, you will burn."

Neither of the two girl noticed that the whole time they were talking; Alphonsa was listening in to every word at the door to the hall.

"Geez, Nee-san is making Rosé angry," the armour girl observed.

Alphonsa suddenly felt someone grab the back of the guard around her neck.

"Do not worry. Your older sister will soon join you," whispered a voice.

Edwina and Rosé spun round as a gunshot rang though the air. An armoured head flew though the air and landed at Edwina's feet. The body of the armour fell at the door as a man clad in a priest's robes walked though the door, a gun in his right hand.

"Accountant Clay! What are you doing?" cried Rosé.

"These people are enemies of God! This is God's will!" Clay exclaimed, as he pointed his gun at the blonde alchemist girl. Rose backed away.

"You surprised me, mister," said a slightly echoing voice behind Clay.

Clay turned around, and there, standing behind him, was the body of armour.

Clay backed away, fear in his eyes. Edwina took her chance. She picked up Alphonsa's helmet and flung it at Clay, knocking him to the floor.

"My head!" Alphonsa cried, catching her armoured helmet.

"Strike!" Edwina cheered punching the air as she spoke.

Rosé clamped her hands over her mouth as a small shriek slipped passed her lips. "W-what's going on?" Her voice came out muffled as she was speaking though her hands.

"There isn't much to explain." Edwina told the frightened young woman.

"This is how it is." Alphonsa leaned forward as she spoke, showing Rosé the inside of her armour.

"It's empty inside…" Rosé gasped.

"This is my punishment for venturing in something humans are forbidden to enter," Alphonsa calmly explained as she re-attached her head to the body of her armour. The older alchemist hung her head as Alphonsa went on to say: "Both my Nee-san and I were punished."

Rosé backed away. Thoughts were flying though her head. She had to get away.

"No!" the dark-skinned woman exclaimed as she turned on her heel and ran.

"Rosé!" Edwina called after her, but she did not hear.

_It's really true, Cornello-sama was right! These people really are enemies of God, _Rosé thought franticly as she descended the staircase.

* * *

The Elric girls had managed to follow Rosé into a small room in the church.

"I've never heard about this place." Edwina said as she walked.

"Nee-san," Alphonsa said, pointing.

The older sister looked in the direction Alphonsa was indicating. Rose stood on a landing in front of them, a staircase rising on either side of her.

"Rosé!" Edwina called.

Before Rosé could said anything a solemn voice began, "Thank you for leading them here, Rosé."

Edwina and Alphonsa tensed as they watched the man called High Priest Cornello, the little bird he had revived still perched on his shoulder, walked down the left staircase to join Rosé.

"You're a State Alchemist, eh?" Cornello said and he eyed up the blonde girl. "I knew you would come here eventually."

"Which reason do you think the reason why? Do you think it's because you deceive your followers? Or because you have the Philosopher's Stone?" inquired Edwina.

"Are you talking about this?" Cornello raised his left hand as replied. Edwina gasped, _Could it really be? It looks like it… _

"There is only answer to being able to a successful transmutation that bypasses the principle of equivalent exchange without the use of a Transmutation Circle." Edwina told Cornello.

"Correct. It is said to only exist in legends, the technique implicating device you know as The Philosopher's Stone."

"I've been looking for that, so I'll say this simply…hand over the Philosopher's Stone, and I won't say anything to the townspeople."

"You want this? If I lose the ability to perform miracles, what will become of the City?"

Edwina did not reply. Cornello turned to the girl next to him. "Well, what do you think then, Rosé?"

"Rose, he's just a third-rate scammer. Don't list–" the girl was cut off by the priest.

"I revived this during a civil war that threatened to destroy it! I took dirty water and turned it into wine, I created buildings, even gave people money. I am an avatar of God!"

Edwina could feel the urge to attack the man in front of her grow with every sentence he said.

"Are you trying to remove God from this city? Are military orders that absolute?" Cornello demanded to know.

"I don't care about any military orders," replied Edwina.

"What?"

"We need that Stone!"

"Why? Why do you still want it, even if it will mean our hope will be lost?"" Rosé suddenly demanded.

"Rosé-san, we–" Alphonsa tried to reason with the girl.

"It's no use," Edwina said.

Rosé lowered her head and sobbed.

"Now then, let's have a look at the power of the Philosopher's Stone is capable of, shall we?" Cornello sneered.

With that, the red lightening the stone admitted illuminated again. Edwina and Alphonsa let out twin yelps as the ground below them turned to sand. Edwina jumped out of the way of the sand, but Alphonsa continued to scream as she was swept away by it.

"Al!" Edwina cried as she landed on the sand.

Cornello laughed.

Edwina scowled.

"That armour has some disadvantages, eh?" The priest laughed. "Also you cannot create a transmutation circle on sand."

Cornello proceeded to push a slab on the wall behind him. Edwina watched as a small opening appeared on the wall near her. A pair of glowing red eyes, followed by a body of what appeared to be a grey lion walked out o the darkness towards the young alchemist.

"You synthesized animals using the Stone?" she asked Conello, trying to not to show the small bit of fear the creature had triggered inside her.

"Correct. It's called a chimera," replied the High Priest.

The abomination of nature let out a roar before charging towards Edwina.

"This creature looks to tough to defeat using my bare hands. I'll have to…" the girl muttered to herself. She raised her hands in front of her, clapped them together, before slamming them onto the sand underneath her. Blue lightening crackled around the girl, and slowly out of the sand rose her favoured weapon of choice: a large metal spear almost as tall as she was.

"What? She performed a transmutation without a circle?" said a shocked Cornello.

The chimera had come within striking distance and now lunged at Edwina. Edwina reacted quickly, using the spear to catch the animal under its belly and tossing it across the room.

"Go!" shouted Cornello, sending the green bird on his shoulder into the battle. As the bird flew, the High Priest activated the stone of his ring once again turning the bird into another huge chimera that swooped down to claim its prey. Edwina swung at the bird when it got close enough, but it wrapped it's talons around the handle of the spear and, much to Edwina's surprise, snapped it. The bird then grabbed her left leg and tightened its grip, trying to crush the limb. Rosé gasped as Edwina cried out.

"Do you like that?" Cornello asked the teenage girl with a laugh.

The blonde girl stopped her struggles, gave a small laugh of her own, and replied, "Not!" She then swiftly yanked her leg out of the bird's grasp before proceeding to sent it flying backward with a punch.

Another roar sounded and Edwina turned, too late, as the lion chimera charged her again, biting down onto her right arm.

Rosé gasped again and shut her eyes, unable to watch. For a moment there was no other sounds accept the lion chewing on it's victim's arm.

"What's wrong, kitty?" Edwina hissed and Rosé's eyes snapped open in shock, to find the Edwina was not being torn apart – in fact, she was still standing, the grey lion chimera gnawing away at her arm to no effect. "Want a better taste?" The girl hissed before tossing the beast of off her and kicking it hard in the head. The chimera flew though the air, slammed onto the ground.

Unbeknownst to Rosé, Cornello and Edwina, two hidden people, a beautiful woman and a fat, ugly man had been watching events unfold.

"Gluttony, that's the child," the woman said to her companion.

"Th-This can't be! Her leg could not be crushed by those claws…and her arm could not be torn part by those fangs," Cornello cried in shock. Then realisation hit him like a club. "Are you…?"

"Yup, you got it right." Edwina replied. She then turned to Rosé and told her, "Rosé look closely and carefully…"

Rosé began to bring her hands over her mouth again as Edwina began to pull off her ripped coat, and her black jacket at the same time.

"This is what happens to those who trespass upon God's territory, Human Transmutation…"

Edwina tore of her coat and cried "Behold! The sinner's body!"

"A Mechanical arm and leg? Automail?" Rosé whimpered as she stared the blonde girl.

"You brats really tried it! You really attempted Human Transmutation! You violated the most forbidden taboo!" Cornello stated.

Rosé remembered Edwina's earlier words, _if you get to close to the sun, you will burn._

"That is why you have your title," Cornello continued. "Your title…The Fullmetal Alchemist!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yeah! New Year's Day update for you readers! Hope you enjoy! If you are wonder about the "four foot ninety inches" thing, then thats in the British Meteric System. Please Review!**

**Thank you ^_^**


	3. Body of the Sactioned

**Chapter 2**

_**Body of the Sanctioned**_

Edwina, and Alphonsa, who had managed to make her way over to her sister, stood silently in front of Rosé and Cornello. Rosé was still recovering from the shock of seeing Edwina's automail arm and leg.

"I see, that is how is. I wondered why a brat like you would have such a title as Fullmetal," Cornello said, before addressing Rosé again. "Rosé, in alchemy it is forbidden to transmute things into gold. In addition to this, there is one more thing that is forbidden: Human Transmutation."

Rosé gasped. _What were these girls thinking?_

"What foolish children you are, experimenting with alchemy without knowing the consequences!" Cornello said to the two teenagers.

"No! We…" Alphonsa began.

"Al!"

"We…" Alphonsa trailed off as she remembered. If she were human, she would have started to cry at these memories. "We just wanted to see our mum's smile again…"

"But you failed!" Cornello laughed.

"Yeah, my little sister lost her entire body, and I lost my right arm and left leg. This is what happens when you try to bring back just one person with two people," Edwina said with her head lowered. She then looked up at Rosé and, bringing her mechanical hand up into a fist, told her again, "This is the result of trying to resurrect someone, Rosé."

Rosé did not reply, but her widening eyes gave away her thoughts.

"Do you still want to try and bring back your boyfriend? Are you prepared?

Do you think you can face consequences such as this?"

Still no answer.

Cornello placed his arm around Rosé's shoulders and smiled at her. "Don't worry, I have The Philosopher's Stone, given to by Leto and I am not an amateur like these two," the High Priest assured the young woman.

"Don't joke around! There are some things you cannot accomplish, not matter what you try!" the small alchemist snapped.

"Then why are you seeking the Philosopher's Stone? You must think you can transmute your mother using this."

"Don't assuming things, baldy!"

"Huh?"

"We want to get our original bodies back, although there is a chance it might not work."

The priest clenched his teeth in anger.

"We'll say one more time. Please give us the Philosopher's Stone," said Alphonsa. Even in this kind of situation, the armour girl did not forget her manners.

"State Alchemist, the wrath of God will befall you," Cornello said.

"Get down here, you third rate swindler!" the blonde girl said, brandishing her metal arm in a fist. "I'll show you know inferior you are compared to us!"

Cornello placed his left hand on the walking stick he held in his right hand and again activated his ring. Rosé backed away from Cornello and the other two girls tensed and the red lightening grew brighter and surrounded his walking stick. "Foolish girl!" the High Priest cried and pointed the new object at the Elrics. It was a high-calibre gun. Rosé gasped as Cornello began to fire.

BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM.

The bullets were relentless. Cornello laughed as he stopped shooting. The dust slowly cleared. A huge slab of stone, blue lightening buzzing around it, had been transmuted, and it had stopped all the bullets.

"That was close," Edwina said with a sigh of relief.

"High Priest!"

Accountant Clay was back, and he was not alone.

"Why you!" Clay growled, before beginning to shoot at Alphonsa, but the bullets ricocheted off the girl, effective.

"Al, this way!" the older Elric called, pointing.

"Foolish brat! There is only one exit!" said Cornello.

"If that's true…" Edwina began to reply, and dug her heels into the ground to stop, clapping her hands together, and placed on the wall in front of her, "I'll make another one!"

The blue lightened of the blonde's transmutations blasted into the wall, creating a metal doorway.

"What?" shouted the surprised priest.

Alphonsa smashed open the door and she and her sister began to make their escape.

"Get after them!" Clay ordered his men.

"High Priest…" Rosé said quietly.

"Yes?" Cornello said, turning to the girl.

"That ring…was the miracles it preformed nothing but alchemy?"

"Some people do prefer to call it alchemy. But I can do things they cannot."

Rosé looked shocked. "You mean…?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

The Priest led Rosé inside a room, in which was a wooden structure, white curtains hiding whatever was behind it.

"Ro…sé…" said the thing that was staining behind the curtain.

Rosé gasped and felt happiness returning to her. "Kain?"

"Ro…sé…"

The young woman began to walk forwards towards the curtained structure, but she and felt a hand clasp her shoulder. It was Cornello

"Kain's soul had been resurrected thanks to the Great God Leto," the middle-aged priest explained. "His body should be complete in a few days."

"High Priest…" the dark-skinned woman said, completely in awe. "So this is…a miracle of God."

The girl suddenly noticed white, green, and blue feathers were scattered on the floor around her. _Where did these come from? _She thought.

* * *

"If it was all you wanted, then you took have just taken the Philosopher's Stone." Alphonsa said to Edwina.

The two girls had managed to evade Clay and his men. Edwina sat on a small plinth out on the dark street, Alphonsa standing next to her. The older alchemist sighed in response to her sister's comment. She looked up as a now familiar voice spoke on a megaphone: _"Tonight, two heretics tried to murder the High Priest! One is short; the other is dressed in some old armour."_

The two alchemists looked at each out worriedly. It looked like Clay was not giving up. _"The Head Priest does not wish for people to be harmed. He told us to not go outside."_

The beautiful woman and her male companion, stood high above the city, again simply observed the events as they unfolded.

Meanwhile, down on the street, Edwina frowned as she looked around at the huge crowd surrounding her and Alphonsa, armed with sticks and work tools.

"These two are the guys, all right," said a man at the front of the crowd. "That one is the short outsider girl."

"WHO DID YOU SAY WAS A ULTRA-SHORT CHILD?" the blonde girl screamed at the man. "I didn't say that!" the man shouted back. He waited until the girl had calmed down again. "Anyway, you'd better not resist."

"How dare you attempt to murder the High Priest!" another man said.

"A cute, pretty child like her tried to do that? How awful!" said a woman.

Edwina sighed. "Look. That priest's 'miracles' are nothing but alchemy. By breaking down and recreating something–"

"She's lying!"

The crowd turned around. Some move aside, revealing none other than Rosé.

"Just a moment ago, my boyfriend, Kain, was brought back to life," the woman stated.

_What? _The blonde alchemist thought.

"Congratulations Rosé."

"Kain has come back from the dead?"

Rosé nodded, convincing the crowd. They turned back to the Elrics.

"See? Rosé isn't the only one to experience a miracle." said a woman holding a pan and ladle as her weapons.

"Yeah!"

"If that's not a miracle, then what is it?"

"Have any of you actually _met _any of these resurrected people?" Edwina demanded. "Maybe the Priest said they left the city.

"Silence!"

Everyone turned to see a most shocking sight before them. Several of the Leto statues were _walking _the toward the alchemist girls.

"The statues of Leto are…"

"It's a miracle!"

The sisters become worried as the Leto statues surrounded them. Clay, who had arrived along with the statues, gave a nod. One of them swung its staff into Alphonsa, knocking her to the ground. She did not even have time to scream.

"Al–" Edwina cried, about to run forward and help the younger girl, but felt something hard hit the back of her head. She fell onto the ground with a thud. She could only watch helplessly as the statues beat her sister. The older sister's vision slowly went black.

* * *

Edwina opened her eyes. Her head throbbed from the blow that had knocked her out, but she ignored it and focused on finding out where she was. Looking around her, the first thing she saw was Father Cornello's smiling face. The girl tried to move, but realised she was being held up by her arms by two men.

Cornello reached forward and took a hold of the silver pocket watch attached be a sliver chain to the girl's leather belt. Decorated with the dragon that was on the Amestris National Flag inside two rhombuses, the watch was an important item for the girl, and Cornello seemed to know this, as with a hard yank, he detached the watch from the belt.

"Hey, give that back!" Edwina shouted, struggling to get free of her captors.

"So, this is the proof that you are a State Alchemist, eh?" Cornello, said hold the object up to his eyes. "This is my first time seeing one. The reason why you are able to perform Transmutations without a circle…is this watch, correct?"

The High Priest laughed a victorious laugh, a laugh that echoed throughout the church hall.

* * *

It was time for the midday ringing of the bells. A man was preparing to do this task, but he was tired.

"Man, I didn't any sleep at all thanks to that incident last night…" he muttered. "Well I guess I should just get on with it."

The man pulled on the bell rope but no sound was heard. He looked up, confused, only to see that there was no bell on the end of the rope.

"What?" the man cried. He did not notice a suit of armour sneak off behind him

In the meantime, down in a prison cell, Edwina shifted her position again. Her head had stopped aching a while ago, but now her arms ached from being bond above her head by ropes, forcing her to sit cross-legged on the floor. She looked up when she heard the cell door open. Rosé walked in, a tray with a small loaf of bread and a cup of water held in her hands.

"Can you feed me? As you can see, I'm in no position to feed myself." Edwina said.

Rosé placed the tray down in front of the imprisoned girl and ran towards the door without a word.

"Was he really…your boyfriend?"

Rosé stopped for a few moments but still did not say anything. The blonde sighed as the older woman closed the door behind her, and using her foot, pulled the tray of food towards her.

* * *

Cornello jumped awake, breathing heavy and cold sweat on his head. _It was just a dream,_ Cornello thought, trying to calm himself from his nightmare. _I am not about to be eaten by a snake. _He jumped when he noticed thee beautiful woman with curly black hair sitting on a chair in front of him.

"The Philosopher's Stone was meant to be other little secret…remember?" the woman hissed. The High Priest felt uncharacteristically frightened.

Meanwhile Rosé was slipping quietly in the room that contained her boyfriend. She simply wanted to see to her love. "Kain, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I…um…just wanted to talk."

A shadow appeared inside the wooden structure. "Ro…sé…"

The dark skinned woman smiled and began to walk forwards, but unfortunately, just like the last time, she was interrupted. The door opened behind her and she turned to see who it was. "High Priest!" she nervously greeted. "Um…I'm so sorry for sneaking in like this…"

Suddenly Rosé felt a wind whip up around her and she turned her attention back to the wooden structure. She gave a fearful gasp, when the curtains wear pulled back by the wind to reveal, not her boyfriend, Kain, alive and smiling, but a huge bird-like creature. The was not the only shocking sight, as scattered around the creature lay the many corpses of small green birds, stray feathers littering the floor around them.

"I'm sorry, Rosé. Even with the power of the Philosopher's Stone, all I can do is sacrifice the lives of these birds and transfer them into another body," the bald priest confessed. "Do not you like the chimera that prattles like Kain?"

A flash come out of the stone of the man's ring and the bird-like chimera jumped forward, landed on the floor and tried to get up. Rosé was frozen, she wanted to run, but she was too petrified to do so.

"Say hello for me," said Cornello before closing the room door behind him.

"Ro…sé…" the creature said, inching forward. "Ro…sé…"

Able to move again, Rosé backed away. She clamped her hands on her head and screamed as the monster leaped at her for the killer blow.

Outside, taking his time to leave, Cornello grinned heartlessly as there was a crash, after which the room fell silent. "But one other person knows of the Philosopher's Stone now."

Rosé slowly opened her eyes. Was she dead? Was she now in heaven or hell? No, looking around she saw she was still inside the room, but the chimera was lying in front of her, motionless, and standing next to it, was her saviour – the armour girl named Alphonsa Elric. "Let's get out of here, it's dangerous," Alphonsa said, and held out her hand to Rosé. "Hurry." The woman, still in shock, silently nodded and followed.

Meanwhile, in other part of the church, Cornello had reached his destination.

"Soon, your fraudulence will become public," Edwina, said to the man in front of her.

"The believers cannot tell between alchemy and miracles. It is all the same to them and it makes them happy."

"Oh yeah? And how does it benefit you?"

"You really want to know? Well…"

* * *

"…The basis of alchemy is the principle of Equivalent Exchange." Alphonsa was explaining again. She was on the balcony of a building, out in the sunshine, Rosé standing next to her, watching her fix wires together and listening intently to her words.

"To gain something you must pay with something of equal value." the younger Elric girl. "My Nee-san is called a genius, but she earned though hard work. That is why she is who she is."

Alphonsa performed another small transmutation. Rosé noted that when this girl performed transmutations, the lightening that come out of her hand was blue. Alphonsa stood up to look at her finished project. She had attached two wires to the bell she had stolen earlier, which in turn was connected to a radio and then two were more wires to a battery. In order for it to be easily moved, the teenager had placed the bell on a stool.

"But, you two paid the price didn't you? An arm, a leg and an entire body…and you are trying to regain them now?" said Rosé, and paused for a few moments before asking her next question, "What happen to your mother?"

Alphonsa ignored the question and instead turned and pointed at the small machine she had built and said, "I think it's about to begin."

"What is?" Rosé asked.

Alphonsa press the "on" button for the radio. The radio whined, causing Rosé to place her over ears. A voice spoke on the echoing around the whole town.

"_So, you did it for the money?"_

"Edwina?" the dark skinned woman said, surprised.

"_I get as much money as I want though donations by my followers." _the woman heard Cornello reply.

"_I want followers who are willing to lay down their lives for me. They believe I can perform resurrection, so they do not fear death. Eventually those believers will become the ultimate army. Just you watch! I will began begin subjugating this country in just a few years!" _The priest continued inside the cell, turning away form the girl that was in front of him.

"I don't care," Edwina replied and pulled her hands free from the ropes to eat.

"What?" the man turned back around as he spoke.

"You can't resurrect anyone, correct?"

"Of course not! Even if you perform Human Transmutation using the Philosopher's Stone, you outcome is unpredictable. Why should I make that risk for a follower?"

Taking a bite from the bread in her hand, Edwina grinned at Cornello and moved aside. On the ground behind her was a microphone. The man's eyes widened.

"_WHAT?"_

The cry echoed though the whole town. The citizens were in shock as they listened. Meals, shopping and work had completely forgotten about. The barman, who had been pouring a cup of coffee, had forgotten about it, the cup now overflowing.

"_How…how long has that microphone been on?" _Cornello demanded.

"_Ever since you came in here," _Edwina replied.

"_How did you get a hold of my broadcasting equipment?"_

"_My little sister took it. The person captured yesterday was just some scarp metal I transmutated to look like her."_

"_No, those are all lies. Please, my people, do not believe to this girl!"_

Cornello jumped back as dust exploded where the alchemist girl had been sitting. He started to look around for her when suddenly a blade came out of nowhere and slashed at him, slicing his gun clean in half. He looked worried when he saw the girl, who was now standing in front of him had transmutated the blade onto her automail arm.

"Didn't I tell you? You're inferior to my sister and me," Edwina reminded Cornello. The automail blade glinted as the girl spoke.

Dropping the half of the gun he held on the ground, the High Priest turn and ran. _I will be safe out here, he thought as he run out into the sunlight._ However, he was wrong. Standing outside the church, armed with weapons, was what looked like the whole population of Liore.

"High Priest, was what you said on that broadcast true?" asked Clay, who was standing among the crowd. Cornello thought for a moment, a plan formulating inside his head.

"I did not know the heretic could speak using my voice. But it is all a conspiracy. " Cornello said, hoping the people would believe him. To prove this, I will eliminate that heretic using the power of God."

The crowd muttered amongst themselves.

"Behold the power of God!" The High Priest, and activated his ring. Red lightening hit all the Leto statues around the church one by one. The crowd watched as the gigantic figures of stone stepped down off their plinths.

"It's a miracle!" someone said.

"The Statues of Leto are moving again!"

Cornello laughed, but stopped when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see an unimpressed Edwina Elric standing behind him.

"Just give up, will you?" The teenager said.

Cornello responded by pulling out the girl's State Alchemist watch, "Without this the only thing you can transmute is your automail."

"Let me show you the _real _wrath of God, old man."

With that, Edwina clapped her hands together and placed one on the ground. Her transmutation lightening buzzed underneath her, then went behind her and coursed up the only reminding Leto status that was not moving. The ground shook, and an explosion erupted inside the church, throwing debris and dust. The Leto statue emerged from the dust, twice as large as it had been before.

"This can't be…I couldn't move such an object even with the Philosopher's Stone." Cornello said.

The crowd stared in shock and amazement.

"The punishment she received had little effect on her; my Nee-san is the Fullmetal Alchemist!" Alphonsa said to Rosé, as they watched, hidden in the crowd. The High Priest shrieked like a little girl when the fist of the Leto Statue came crashing down in front of him. He emerged from the dust and debris created by the blow, unharmed, but feeling defeated. He fell to the ground in dismay. Edwina walked up to him.

"I'm not going to…I'm going to hand over the Philosopher's Stone!" Cornello snapped at the blonde alchemist, getting up. He tried to run, but the ring activated of its own accord, causing him to fall back onto the ground, his arm horribly disfigured.

"A rebound?" gasped Edwina. She may have now had a loathing for the man this man, but she could not let him suffer as she had. Moving over to the man, she grabbed his wrist. The might coming out of the stone on his ring faded, and cracked, exploding into nothingness.

"A fake?" The girl said, knowing the Philosopher's Stone was an unbreakable material. She stood, turned to the priest and said, "You made us go though all that trouble…all that hard work…for a fake? _You've got to be KIDDING ME!_"

* * *

"We went though all that for nothing…" Edwina said, almost upset as she looked at her State Alchemist pocket watch. She turned to her sister. "I thought I could finally return to your real body."

"You should think of yourself first, Nee-san. Your automail has it's troubles."

"Fine, let's go and look for our next clue."

The two of them stood up and were about to leave, when they heard a familiar someone speak, "what have you done?"

Rosé.

"The High Priest's miracles represented hope to us. If we believed, the dead would be revived. That was out only hope!"

"So you're saying we should have left things the way they were?" The blonde girl asked.

"What…what will be my reason to live tomorrow? Tell me!"

"Think about it on your own. Stand up and walk forward," the teenager said, turning away from the woman. "At least you have two legs."

Edwina began walking away. Rosé sank to her knees, lost, confused and losing the will to live. She felt comforting leather hands take her own.

"I believe Nee-san did all that for you sake, Rosé-san."

"But, it was completely unnecessary…"

"We have seen many things," the girl said.

In the church, at that same time, Father Cornello turned away from the window from where his had been watching the people of his town.

"What is going on?" he asked the beautiful woman sitting on the bed in front of him. "Wasn't the stone you gave me the real Philosopher's Stone?"

"Of course not. I was just using this town as bait. " the woman replied. "Those who are seeking the Philosopher's Stone would here the rumours and rush here. And then…"

"Just who are you? What is it you want?" Cornello nervously asked.

"Lust, can I eat this old man?" asked the ugly, bald fat man sitting next to the woman.

"Yes, Gluttony," the woman said, a cruel smile forming on her face. "Devour him."

The priest did not even have time to beg for his life before sickening crunches filled the room.

* * *

Evening had came, but things still had not settled down in the town of Liore. The people of Liore were still in the mood to kill.

"Where did that that bastard Cornello go?" fumed one man as he searched.

"That fake priest." added another.

The poor civilian gulped as he saw a most horrid site before his eyes. Ruins covered with dead birds. "What is this?"

"How terrible!" another person whimpered.

"What was he doing here?"

"Look! I found him!"

"The High Priest?"

The priest, with a smile on his face, held up a dead bird. He spread out his arms, throwing the bird into the air, and it along, with all the other on the ground, flew away, alive and well. The crowd gasped.

"It's a miracle," a gullible someone said.

"He must be using some kind of trick again."

"But they can back to life!"

"It would seem as if a demon has been causing trouble while I was gone,£ Cornello said. "Is everyone ok?"

"You are…the real high Priest?" a woman asked.

The man nodded.

The crowd cheered in joy.

"Cornello-sama!"

"We were being deceived by a child!"

"Yeah!"

Lust was pleased. _Those foolish humans are so gullible. _She directed her gaze at Cornello.

"I'm sorry, Envy, but you are gong to have to remain in that form for a little longer."

Rosé watched the crowd form afar, the wind blowing her hair as she wondering what to believe.

_We have seen many things, and I will tell you these stories. You move not walk down the same path we did. This is why I am telling you._

Rosé knew those words would stay with her for a long time. She left the scene.

_My Nee-san and I were born in a small town called Rizenbul. Its east of Central City. Everything began there…_

"_Mum!"_

"_Mummy, look! Look!"_

_The brown-hared woman turned to her two young daughters as they came to a stop in front of her. "What is it?"_

"_See?" said Edwina, the older girl. She held out a small metal horse._

"_Nee-san made it!" Alphonsa, the younger girl, added. "I can only make this though," the child held out her not-so-good metal horse._

_The woman laughed. "That's incredible you two…you truly are his children."_

_Edwina gave her usual grin, while Alphonsa did her usual sweet smile._

_People cannot gain something without making sacrifices. You must present something of equal value to gain. That is the principle of Equivalent Exchange in alchemy._

_We believed that was the truth of the world when we were young…_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, readers! I am a bit depressed at the moment as my beloved Guinea Pig, La Miel (Spanish for honey) died on the afternoon of Sunday 7th of February.**

**It was old age. She was five. She was struggling to breathe though Saturday night and was in pain. I think evenually she just gave up. She is the fourth of my pets I've seen die, but do not make it any easier. Why can't animals live as long as humans? Then I would not have to go though so many deaths of them. We (my mum, brother and I) hope to give her a funeral like what we did with our hamster, Hoops. We believe if a pet dies it should get as much repect as a human family member. I miss her.**

**Leave a review if you want to. If you want to say anything for my guinea pig, go on.**

**Thank you.**


	4. Mother

**Chapter 3**

_**Mother**_

Central Library. A place where those strong enough to be in the Amestris Military, and those who were not that had permission, could search for the information they required.

"I guess there aren't any books on the Philosopher's Stone." Edwina said, looking though yet another book.

"That stone that priest had was fake, so we have lost another clue," Alphonsa replied.

"Maybe we should return to Central City for now."

Alphonsa looked around at the leather-bound books again, when she spotted a familiar one. "Nee-san, look!"

The older girl looked at the book.

"_An Introduction to Alchemy. _Doesn'tit bring back memories?" Alphonsa asked.

"Really?" Edwina took the book of her little sister and opening it at a page. It was a page detailing how to draw a transmutation circle. _Al's right, _Edwina thought. _This reminds me of…_

* * *

"This is boring!" the blonde haired 6-year-old boy, Winter Rockbell, complained. He had being watching his two best friends draw a strange circular symbol on the floor of his living room for about fifteen minutes.

"Let's do a little more," said Alphonsa Elric, a girl of five.

"Okay, I'm done." Edwina, Alphonsa's one-year-older sister, replied.

The both of them got up and stood at the each of the symbol. "Watch this, Winter," said Edwina.

"You said you were going to give me a present," Winter said.

"We're going to make the present right now."

The boy watched as the two sisters first poured a dust-like substance into the middle of the symbol on the floor, then knelt down at the edge of it and placed their hands on the edge. His bright cerulean eyes widened as a golden light blazed of the symbol. After a few moments, blue lightening and dust began to rise, and inside that, a shape loomed upwards, frightening the boy. Winter gave a scream, fell to his knees and started to cry and sob. Den, his female puppy, whom he had being holding, jumped down from his arms and began barking.

Upon realising what had happened, Edwina and Alphonsa stopped the transmutation and rushed over to their friend.

"Don't cry, Winter, its okay. It's stopped now," Alphonsa said gently, in an attempt to comfort him. Edwina, on the hand, was annoyed. "You're such a cry-baby, you know that, Winter?" she snapped.

_That was our first transmutation._

* * *

The Elric Sisters sat outside the Rockbell house, Den yipping at them, and wondering what was going to happen.

Inside the house, Winter, his parents, Sara and Urey, and Trisha Elric, Edwina and Alphonsa's mother, discussed the earlier incident.

"It's Winter's fault…" said Urey. "Those two went to the trouble of–"

"That's right. Edwina-chan and Alphonsa-chan did it for you," Sara added.

"I'm really sorry," said Trisha.

The door to the room opened and Pinako Rockbell, Winter's grandmother, and Urey's mother, walked in. Pinako was a very small woman, not much taller than her grandson was, with dulling dark pink hair pulled back in a stiff ponytail, and small glasses that had no handles, perched on her nose.

"No matter how much people learn, most will just give up," the old woman said, walking over to the table where everyone sat. "Those two girls are excellent alchemists," Pinako said, holding out the small toy car Edwina and Alphonsa had made for Winter.

"But they shouldn't know anything about alchemy…" said Trisha, thinking.

"Perhaps it is because they are _his _children." Pinako said.

"Hmmm…Well, I should best be going. Edwina and Alphonsa must be getting cold out there." With that, Trisha stood and walked toward the front door. When she reaching it, she turned back and giving a kind smile to the frowning boy at the table, said, "Please accept my apology, Winter, and cheer up soon. Goodbye for now."

She waved and walked outside. Edwina and Alphonsa stood up when they saw her, and she motioned for them to follow her.

Trisha Elric was a rather beautiful woman, with long brown hair and dark green eyes. She was a loving and kind woman, and cared deeply for her children.

Although they did not really their appearance from her, Trisha thought her daughters were beautiful little girls. She loved how Edwina had her father's golden eyes, and sandy golden-blonde her that she tied back in a low ponytail. She like how Alphonsa had brown eyes and golden-brown hair, and how she liked to have half of it tied back with a ribbon, while the rest hung down, and her fringe grew out to the right instead of straight down.

Trisha also the girls contrasting personally and dress sense. Edwina was a little tomboy and today she was wearing a black sleeveless top, tan shorts and sandals. Alphonsa was a feminine girl, and was wearing a floral print dress and matching sandals.

Trisha looked at the book her daughters had found as they walked home, Alphonsa holding her hand.

"When did Dad start teaching you alchemy?" she asked the girls.

"How are we supposed to learn from someone who isn't here?" Edwina said.

"It was what the book was about," said Alphonsa.

"You understood this difficult book?"

"Somewhat," the children said in unison.

"Was it a bad thing?" Edwina asked.

"No it's an impressive thing. I'm going to gloat about it to everyone."

The two girls smiled.

The next morning after breakfast, Trisha let her girls to her husband's old study, and told them, "Return the book to where you found it."

"Okay," they said.

"Don't forget to thank Dad when he returns."

"Okay."

"Also, that door is off limits," She indicated the door at the back of the room.

"We understand."

The two children ran onto the room and began searching for the place where the book was to be returned.

"This is where the book should go," Edwina said, pointing. "Al, help me."

Alphonsa climbed on her sister's shoulders and with Edwina keeping balance, they tried to place the book back on the shelf. They wobbled back and forth, but managed to stay up. Suddenly Edwina wobbled too much and lost her balance. Alphonsa tried to grab the shelf to stop falling, but they both toppled and a shower of books rained down on top them. _Those girls of mine… _Trisha thought with a sigh.

_Mum began to get a distant look in her eyes when Dad on a journey when Nee-san and I were very young. He did not tell us his destination._

The two girls looked from the door at their mother, wondering why she was just staring out of the window. Eventually the woman noticed her daughters and turning to them, said, "Oh, hello girls. I was just…admiring the view. The children did not express their disbelief at the statement

_However, after we began to learn alchemy, she started smiling more often. Mum complimented us. _

"Mummy, look what we made!"

Edwina and Alphonsa held up the small paper crane they had transmutated. Trisha turned away from the window. "That's wonderful, you two," she said, a smile forming on her face.

_We completely devoted ourselves to alchemy._

* * *

"Mum!" Edwina called.

"Mummy, look! Look!" Alphonsa called.

It had been two years since Edwina and Alphonsa had preformed their first transmutation. Since then, never had a day gone by where they did not practice alchemy. Today the two girls ran eagerly to their mother to show her their latest creations.

Trisha turned away from the washing and crouched to her children's height.

"See?" Edwina said, and held out a small metal dog.

"Nee-chan made it," said Alphonsa. "I can only make something like this though." She held out a not-so-good metal dog.

"That's incredible, you two," Trisha said and took the dog Edwina was offering her. "You truly are his children."

The two children laughed.

"Will Dad compliment us too?" the younger Elric asked. Trisha went silent for a few moments, and then replied, "Yes, when he returns. I'm sure he will."

"Yay!" the girl cheered.

Edwina sudden turned around and started running.

"Edwina, where are you going?" Trisha asked.

"To Winter's place!"

"Wait for me!" Alphonsa set off after her sister.

Trisha just sighed.

The two children ran up a hill and sit down for a short break.

"Nee-chan, do you hate Dad?" Alphonsa asked.

"Well, no, not hate, but…" Edwina wrapped her hands around her knees and lowered her head. "It's just…I don't remember him. When we talk about him, Mum makes a strange face. I don't like that."

"Sorry…" said the younger girl, also lowering her head.

Edwina stroked the younger girl's hair before getting to her feet. "Let get to Winter's."

The two girls made their way best friend's house. As they entered, they saw Winter sitting at the dinning table, his head in his arms, crying. Pinako stood by her grandson as she told the sisters the shocking news.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Alphonsa.

"Like Granny said, Mum and Dad are dead!" Winter snapped, raising his tear stained face.

"But, your parents are doctors," said Edwina.

"That's why they were sent into the war in Ishval. They died there." The boy descended back into sobbing.

"Winter, it's like what happened with our Dad." Alphonsa walked over to the table and placed the metal dog she still had onto it.

"It not the same! Your dad ran away!" Winter shouted, knocking the dog to the floor. Getting to his feet, he leaned into Alphonsa's face and yelled, "Mum and Dad are dead! Dead! That means they can never come back!"

Alphonsa could feel tears rising in her own eyes at her friend's anger. She hated being shouted at.

"That's not true," said Edwina, picking up the fallen dog. "I read a book about a creature called the Homunculus. It is like a living doll with no heart. Using alchemy, maybe Al and I can–"

"Don't even think about it!" Pinako said sternly. "It's forbidden."

Den, who had grown a lot in two years, walked into the room and sniffed at Winter. Due to a tragic accident, she had to have her front left leg replaced with autnoomail.

"Alchemy isn't perfect." Pinako continued. "That's with automail engineers such as I exist."

"Old hag…" Edwina muttered. Now she was in trouble. Yelping as work tools were flung at her, she raced out the house, Alphonsa behind her. Once they were out of range, the two girls slowed down to a walk.

"I really feel sorry for Winter," said Alphonsa, now unable to stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes. She was glad the older girl was waking ahead of her.

Trisha, spotting the two of them, waved. She was surprised when they broke into a run, even more surprised when they wrapped they arms around her waist and began crying into her apron.

"What's wrong, you two?" Trisha asked, patting the children on the head. "Come on, Edwina, you're a big girl now. You're too old for this." Nevertheless, she comforted her oldest child just like her youngest one.

* * *

Another two years had passed. Edwina, now a bright-eyed girl of ten, had started wearing her long hair in a low plait, while 9-year-old Alphonsa still wore her hair in her favourite, half up half down style. Edwina was still a tomboy and Alphonsa was still a feminine girl. The two girls were racing to see who would get home first, ignoring the massive steam engine as it chugged on the railway next to the hill they were running on. They laughed happily as they ran, as they had managed to collect some bread and fruit from the market all by themselves.

Edwina, the winner of the race, opened the front door. "We're back, mum–" the girl was cut off by a most frightening site. Trisha lay motionless on the floor. They let the baskets fall to the floor as they ran over to their mother.

"Mum!" Edwina cried.

"Mummy!" Alphonsa cried, kneeling down next to Trisha.

Distraught, Edwina ran to get Pinako while Alphonsa called a doctor. Soon, Trisha was placed in a bed. Edwina, Alphonsa and Winter stayed in the room while Pinako and the doctor talked outside.

"This isn't an illness she caught recently," The doctor informed Pinako. Inside the Rockbell house, Edwina and Alphonsa were sitting to chairs next their mother's bed, while Winter stood a little distance back. "She must have endured the pain for years now." The doctor continued. He and Pinako went inside and entered Trisha's room.

"Dear…" the sick woman gasped.

Edwina suddenly had an idea. "Al, come with me," she said. Alphonsa hesitated for a few moments, and then followed her sister down to the basement. Edwina explained her plan.

"We have letters that were addressed to him," Edwina said as she looked down at the pile of letter on the desk in front of her. "If we write a latter to everyone here…"

"…Someone might know where Dad is, ask him to come here?" Alphonsa finished.

"I don't want him to come back!"

"But it can't be helped."

"Damn it," Edwina said with a sigh.

Later that evening, the two sisters returned to their mother bedside, as she wanted to talk to them. Edwina held her mother's hand as she spoke.

"There is the money that Dad left for us…I haven't spent any of it…use that, try to co-operate and live together". Trisha whispered.

"What do you mean, Mum?" asked Edwina.

"Can you transmute something for me, Edwina? A flower would be nice."

"Huh?"

"He…always…made them for me…"

The woman's eyes slowly closed and the hand in Edwina's grasp fell limb.

Trisha's funeral was set for the next day. Many people attended, giving comfort and support to the Elric children. Several banquets of flowers were on the gravestone_._

_Mum was happy to see us using alchemy because it reminded her of Dad. That was when we finally realised…_

Alphonsa and Winter quietly wept, with everyone else stood in respectful silence. Soon the crowd thinned, until only the Elrics and Rockbells remained. As evening fell, Pinako and Winter left as well.

"Nee-san…I'm hungry…I'm cold. Let's go home." Alphonsa said after a while.

"Al," Edwina said without looking at her little sister.

"Hm?"

"Let's revive mum."

* * *

The two Elric girls had spent the last few weeks almost exclusively in their father's study, searching though the many books, trying to look for a way to resurrect their mother.

"Look, the equations!" Edwina said as she looked down at the open book in front of her. "I may not understand it fully, but there is information about Human Transmutation here. If we decipher this…"

"But Human Transmutation is forbidden," Alphonsa said worriedly.

"Anyone would be glad to see a dead person come back to life. All those who tried it failed, so it was banned of spite." Edwina replied. "If It will allow you, me and mum could be together again and live a happy life, then I am more than willing to do it. I'm sure mum would like it too."

"Maybe we should ask Dad first…"

"I don't want to ask him. It was his fault mum died. Mum was waiting for him, but he didn't even attend the funeral. If there is something he can't do, then I'll do it."

_We found a sensei and polished up our skills in alchemy. Then on that fateful night in February, 1910…_

"Water, 35 litres. Carbon, 20kg. Ammonia, 4 litres. Lime, 1.5kg," Edwina checked the list.

"Phosphorus, 800g. Salt, 250g. Nitre, 100g. Fluorine, 7.5g. Iron, 5g. Silicon, 3g. Trace of fifteen other elements," Alphonsa finished the checking.

"These are the elements that make up the average adult human body. And this is the construction Equation," Edwina indicated the equation on the page. "We will call back mum's soul and bind it to the body."

"Nee-san, are you sure this will work?" Alphonsa asked, her worry growing.

"It's too late to think like that, Al."

"But alchemy is done though Equivalent Exchange is not it? I mean, we have the material for the body…but what about the soul?"

"Hold out your finger," Edwina said and picked up a knife.

"W-what are you going to do?" asked Alphonsa, backing away from the older girl. She watched as her sister cut a small wound in her finger. Edwina gently took her sister's hand, and cut a small wound in her finger. They both stood over the huge Transmutation Circle they had drawn and let a drop of blood fall onto it. "This will be the soul's information." Edwina explained. She turned to her sister and said, "Let's do this, Al."

Outside in the rain a woman in a blue Military uniform looked around. "Rizenbul Village, huh?"

The children placed their hands on the circle and as always a golden light blazed out of it. Soon dust began to rise, forming a miniature hurricane.

Suddenly the golden light flashed purple and turned to red. Edwina's smile faded. The dust hurricane turned purple and started to break thing in the room.

"Nee-san, something's wrong." Alphonsa said, frightened. She suddenly screamed.

"Al!" cried Edwina and tried to move over to the screaming girl but found she could not. She looked down and saw small back arm-like vines with little hands on the ends of them, wrapped around her left leg. The child could not believe her eyes; the arm-like appendages were disintegrating her leg.

"_Nee-san!_"

Edwina looked back at Alphonsa. She was being dragged backwards into a large stone gate, her whole body being disintegrated. Alphonsa desperately struggled, stretching out her hand to her sister. "NEE-SAN!"

Edwina fought the vines around her leg and tried to grab Alphonsa's hand. "AL! NO!"

She was almost there; it was just a little further. It was too late. Alphonsa completely disappeared.

_The last thing I remember seeing was my Nee-san's leg being decomposed and disappearing._

Outside, the woman watched the glowing house, horrified.

* * *

Alphonsa felt her consciousness returning. A bad kind of different. She looked down at herself.

"What?" She said confused. Instead of human skin, Alphonsa saw metal legs, and leather hands. She was no longer human; she was a suit of armour - a seven-foot suit tall of armour. Looking around, she gave a gasp. There was Edwina, lying on the floor, covered in blood, her right arm and leg left gone.

"I'm sorry, Al," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Alphonsa ran over to Edwina and gently lifted her onto her metal lap.

"Nee-san, what happened to me? And your arm and leg…"

"My leg…was taken as payment for the transmutation." Edwina weakly whispered, her voice hoarse. "And my arm….I had to use it to fix your soul to that armour…"

"And what about Mum?"

"She wasn't human."

Alphonsa gasped again when she saw a hideous creature laying on the Transmutation Circle. "But why? You're theory should have been perfect."

"My theory wasn't wrong," Edwina said, wincing in pain. "We were the ones who were wrong…"

"Nee-san?" Alphonsa said worriedly as her sister trailed off. She moved her slightly to get a better look at her. The older girl had passed out.

Alphonsa stood up and said, "Don't worry Nee-san. I'll get you some help."

Alphonsa run as fast as she could to the Rockbell home and knocked the door. Pinako opened the door but backed away in shock. Both she and her grandson tried to take in the site before them. A soaking wet suit of armour knelt at the door holding Edwina, who was drenched in blood and missing an arm and a leg.

"Aunty…please help my Nee-san!"

"Al…is that you?" Winter asked.

The old woman wanted to ask so many questions, but she knew they could wait. She had to take care of the situation at hand.

"Alphonsa, put Edwina in that bed. Winter, get some bandages and cleaning alcohol," Pinako ordered.

Both children did as they were told. After helping his grandmother clean up Edwina and her wounds, Winter wrapped the bandages around the stump that had once been a leg and the place where Edwina's arm should have been. Being the son of a pair of doctors, he had gotten quite good at First Aid. As this was happening, Alphonsa explained the story.

"So you came back from your training, then what?" Winter asked.

"Don't tell me you tried to revive your mother," said Pinako

"I see, so that light was from a Human Transmutation," said a new voice.

Pinako, Winter and Alphonsa turned towards the door. A tall woman with chin length raven black hair and onyx eyes stood there, dripped wet and dressed in a blue uniform. "I have never seen such a powerful reaction before," the woman said. With a polite "excuse me," the woman pulled out a silver pocket watch.

"A National State Alchemist?" Alphonsa squeaked.

"What does a soldier like you want from here?" Pinako demanded. "As you see, I have a critically injured girl here, so please leave."

"I can here in response to this letter." The woman reached in to her black trench coat and pulled out an envelope.

"That's the letter Nee-san wrote to one of Dad's acquaintances." Alphonsa realised.

"We have been searching for your father," The female soldier replied.

"Their father has being missing for years. You won't find him here," said Pinako.

"If these two children can perform a Human Transmutation and_ survive…_then I have more interest in them that their father."

For a few moments, the woman stared down at the small girl on the bed, and then said, "They may even have the makings for excellent State Alchemists."

"They have done nothing. Please leave, I need to intend to this girl," the small old woman replied.

The woman turned and began walked toward the door. As she walked, she said. "My name is Lieutenant Colonel Roya Mustang. Come see me in Central City."

There was silence as the tall woman left.

* * *

As the sun rose the next morning, Winter quietly walked into Edwina and Alphonsa's room. He walked carefully, trying not to spill the bowl of water he was carrying.

Over the years, Winter had allowed his light blonde hair to grow a little bit. It was still short, but his fringe was swept to the left and some of his hair hung to his chin down in front of his ears and at the sides of his head.

Placing the bowl of water down next to the bed, the boy took out the flannel, squeezed out the excess water and gently placed on Edwina's forehead. After watching the sleeping girl for a few moments, the boy reached out and gently stroked her hair.

Winter noticed Alphonsa, sitting, cross-legged on the floor, near the bed. He approached, eyes wide with wonder. He had not had a chance to take a close look the night before. He tapped and caressed the metal in curiosity. Eventually he sat in the little nest the crossed legged made.

"Good morning, Winter."

The boy sprang to his feet with a yelp. "Al, you're awake?"

He starting bowing, and repeating, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Alphonsa rubbed her head and tried to reassure him. "No, no. its okay, its okay."

The two of them did not notice the girl in the bed watching them.

After a while, Pinako came into the room to change Edwina's bandages.

Giving Alphonsa a final apology, Winter went over to his other friend to assist his grandmother.

"Aunty, there is a large amount of money at our house," Edwina reminded Pinako.

"Silly, don't worry about money," The old woman replied as she finished wrapping the girl's bandages.

"No. What I mean is, equip me with automail using that money. I want to see that Roya person, and become a State Alchemist. I need two arms and legs to do that, do I not?"

Pinako took her smoking pipe out of her mouth, "you were listening to that?"

"I heard from our sensei that if I became a State Alchemist, I can read rare documents this nation is charge of. I will also be given funds to research whatever I want. I heard that you are given a watch that can amplify the power of a transmutation."

"Didn't your sensei also tell you this? If a war starts, you will be made to serve in it. If an order is given for you to kill people using alchemy, you must follow it, even though alchemy was intended for the good of the pubic. I also heard it was a state alchemist who took the life of my son and his wife."

Behind the old woman, Winter tensed.

"I don't care if I have to become a dog of the military. There is something I _must _do."

"Ed…are you still…?" Sighing, Pinako gave in. "Fine, I will give you automail."

Over the next week, the Rockbells worked tirelessly to create a suitable arm and leg for Edwina.

When it was time, they took her down to the operating room and set to work.

Winter explained that, in order for automail limbs to work, they had to be attached directly to the nerves of the body. It was an extremely painful process, and Edwina gritted her teeth in a vain attempt to stop herself crying out.

"Please bear with this, Ed" said Winter. "These are the best piece of equipment we have ever made."

Alphonsa opened the door, concerned at all the noise.

"Things are fine here; you don't need to come in."

The armour girl closed the door.

"I'm surprised at how well you're doing, Ed. Pinako said, whipping her brow, "Even an adult would scream at the pain of each individual nerve being attached."

"My pain…" Edwina glanced at the door, "…is nothing compared to hers."

* * *

Alphonsa punched then kicked the air in front of her, practising her fighting skills. In the year that had passed the younger Elric sister had gotten quite used to her metal body. However, she also discovered that, being nothing but a child's soul in a suit of armour, she could and need not eat, drink, smell, taste, feel temperature or pain, and worst of all, sleep. Oh, how she missed sleep. She had to spent each long night alone, unable to join others in the land of dreams.

For Edwina, it had been year of excruciatingly painful surgery, high fevers induced by surgery, coughing up blood, and exhaustion.

Pinako had told Edwina that rehabilitation with automail would take three years. However, Edwina had been determined to complete her rehabilitation in one year.

"Let's do what we used to, Nee-san." Alphonsa turned to face her older sister. Edwina, dressed in nothing but a white t-shirt and black trousers, her automail arm glinting in the sunlight as she walked. She smiled and said. "To train your spirit, you must train your body. That's what our sensei told us, right?"

The wind gently blew Edwina's waist length hair, which was tied back in its now usual low plait.

"Al, are you capable of, doing it with that body?" Edwina asked as she came to a stop.

"I won't lose to automail!" said Alphonsa, getting ready.

Edwina ran, grabbing her sister's metal head and delivering a high kick. Alphonsa blocked the blow with her arms, and then swung her fist into Edwina. The blonde girl dug the heels of her feet into the ground, preventing her from going flying, her causing her to skid across the ground.

"Nee-san, are you serious about becoming a State Alchemist?" Alphonsa asked as the two of them continued to spar.

"I don't know for sure if I will become one," Edwina replied, dodging a kick. "But, I am going to see that Roya woman."

"Please don't," begged Alphonsa

"I have already decided."

"Then, I'll become one too! Nee-san, are you still planning on trying to resurrect Mum?"

"Maybe."

"You said we were wrong. Why?"

Edwina back flipped over Alphonsa's head to avoid a particularly hard kick.

"I'm sure I will become a State Alchemist." She said as she landed.

"And I will a way to restore your arm and leg." said Alphonsa as she got up.

"You don't need to worry about that, Al."

"But it was my fault! If I had refused to go though with the Human Transmutation, I you would not have lost your leg! Also you gave up your arm to bind my soul to this armour."

Edwina suddenly delivered a hard kick to Alphonsa, knocking her into Rizenbul Lake.

"what are you going to do with that body?" Edwina asked her little sister.

"Well…um…eh…" Alphonsa was lost for a reply as she climbed out of the water.

"I'll find a way to return to your original body, Al," Edwina said.

"Have you given up on trying to resurrect Mum?" the younger Elric asked.

"There is properly nothing in this world as valuable as mum's life. Also, I don't want to lose you, my dear little sister."

Alphonsa was surprised by these words. "Then, I will go with you."

"Why?"

"Because you always slack off when I'm not around." The armour girl giggled at Edwina's reaction to her statement.

"So that's what you think of me…"

"I never want to be separated from you, Nee-san."

Standing at some trees, unnoticed, Winter, Pinako and Den watched the scene unfold. Winter did not want his best friends to leave him. He _certainly _did not want them to join the military that had caused death of his parent. But he knew that, even though he did want it to happen, he could not stop them.

* * *

The flames rose high, engulfing the entire Elric house. _Even though we are trying to regain our original bodies…we are still seeking Human Transmutation. If we fail, we may leave this world for good. _

Edwina felt almost sad as she threw the last torch into the blaze.

_We are not sure if we will be punished with something even more corrodible than that. However, we cannot go back. So on the night we left…we burned down our house._

And so, aged just eleven and 10-years-old, the two sisters, Edwina and Alphonsa Elric, began their journey to get their original bodies back.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, dear readers! I am feeling a bit better now, as Mum got La Miel buried. Don't forget to review.**

**Thank you.**


	5. A Forger's Love

**Chapter 4**

_**A Forger's Love**_

It was evening. The train was puffing and chugging its way along the track, swaying gently. In one of the carriages, Edwina sat with her sister. The blonde girl was wearing her favourite outfit, a high-collated, zip-up jacket with a white trim, tight-fitting leather jeans with a brown leather belt, and black leather boots with flat red soles that went half way to her knees and had a zip running from halfway to the top of the boots. Edwina's hooded red coat, which had the flannel on the back of back of it, was lying on the chair next to her.

"Al, is this okay with you?"

"Huh?" questioned Alphonsa.

"I am worried that you may regret leaving the village," Edwina said.

"What are you talking about, Nee-san? I made this choice. Aren't you the one who is unhappy about it?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm exited. I am going to become a State Alchemist, after all."

"I feel the same way. I am going to help you get your arm and leg back."

"It's okay. You just think about yourself."

"What I wonder what you do in order to became a State Alchemist," Alphonsa wondered. "What kind of training would you need?"

Edwina remembered what the woman called Roya had said: _If these two children can perform a Human Transmutation and survive…then I have more interest in them that their father. They may even have the making for excellent State Alchemists._

"Anyway, we will go to see that Roya woman," Edwina told Alphonsa. With my skills, it will be easy!" Edwina saw the younger girl was looking a little odd. "Are you worried about Winter, Al?"

At same time as the Elric sisters were travelling on the train, Winter and Pinako stood at their house, looking along the road, even though the girls were long gone. The fire that had consumed the Elric house had finally gone out.

"It can't be helped. Those two made the decision. I sure they will came back." Pinako told the boy.

"But I still didn't want them to leave," Winter replied sadly. "Ed…Al…"

* * *

Edwina stretched and yawned as she settled down on the train station bench.

"Nee-san, to which train do we transfer?" Alphonsa asked as she too sat on the bench.

"It will be the one arriving at 9am tomorrow." Edwina replied. "Until then, I'm going to sleep."

_Lucky you, _the armour girl thought.

Alphonsa's thoughts were interrupted when a woman gave a shout. The Elrics watched a man run away from the woman, clutching her bag.

"Al," Edwina said, standing up.

"Ok," Alphonsa said, reading her sister's mind, she also stood up.

"That was too easy," the thief sniggered to himself as he ran. The man stopped when he saw a girl and a person in a suit of armour blocking his path. "Get out of my way!" the man said, pulling a gun from inside his shirt.

Without saying anything, Alphonsa activated a Transmutation Circle underneath the man.

"What is this?" the robber said, shocked by the fact that a cage was forming around him, knocking his gun from his hand.

"Why don't you stay there for a while," Edwina said, picking up and waving the man's gun.

"Well done," said a voice behind them.

The two young girls turned around to see a police officer standing there.

"Say, was that power you used alchemy? It was impressive." The police officer asked.

"Yeah, it was," The blonde girl confirmed.

"To think, young girls like you can be alchemists…the only other alchemist I know is a local man called Majihal."

"Majihal?"

"Yes. He helps people using his knowledge of alchemy. He is praised by many."

"Where does he live?"

"The village next to here. Though I don't think you should go see him right now. There are some rumours going around about that village. The dead come back to live and attack villagers."

Instead of deterring her as it would most people, the rumours made Edwina all the more curious.

"I need you get back to work. You girls take care now," said the police officer, waving to the two alchemists before he left.

The two sisters walked out of the station and set up down the path towards the village. After a while Edwina said, "Al, can you hear that?"

Alphonsa stopped and listened. "It sounds like rumbling. Is it your stomach, Nee-san?"

The two of them suddenly saw the source of the sound: A horse and cart coming along the path. Edwina and Alphonsa yelped and leaped to the aside to avoid being run over. Upon seeing the two travellers, the driver stopped and asked, "Are you going to the village? I could give you a ride as far as I can if you are."

"Um, no thanks, we're just fine walk–" Alphonsa was interrupted by her sister.

"That would be very nice, thank you." Edwina said.

"Nee-san!" the younger girl hissed.

"You know, Al, it isn't rude to take an offer."

"But it's his property…"

Edwina sighed and climbed into the cart. Alphonsa had no choice but to follow. The two of them settled down for the ride.

"So, do you know this Majihal person, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

"No, but…I saw his name in one of _his_ letters." the older girl said.

"Dad's?"

"Yeah. There was something about Human Transmutation on it. If this Majihal is the same person on that letter, we should definitely meet him."

"That sounds good. This will be a nice little trip." In her mind, Alphonsa smiled.

"You seem happy."

"Huh? Oh, that's because we caught that thief and everybody complimented us," The girl said with a giggle. "I'm happy our alchemy helped someone."

The older Elric smiled and sat back to enjoy the rest of the horse-and-cart ride.

After a while, however, the cart stopped.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I have to go in a different direction from the village now," the man politely said to Edwina.

"That's ok. We'll just walk the rest of the way," the blonde girl replied.

The two set off on foot once again. After a while, Edwina became hunched over, wincing in pain and rubbing her back.

"Nee-san, are you ok?" A worried Alphonsa asked.

"No I'm not. The seat was really hard and it shook a lot. Are you okay?"

"Yes." The younger girl said.

They eventually arrived at the village, Edwina wincing the whole way.

"Wow," The blonde alchemist said, looking at the flame torches dotted about the village. "Are they having a festival?"

Something exploded over the sisters' head, caused the older one to jump.

"Shoot, it when into the direction of the village!"

Edwina and Alphonsa turned to the direction of the voice, and saw a group of small boys approached them. The boys were dressed in shirts and too-short trousers and scuffed shoes, with some wearing braces and others wearing waistcoats or caps. The black-haired leader was dressed like a paperboy, a red cap on his head.

"What are you doing?" the boy with the red cap demanded of the two young alchemists. "This is a restricted area where my friends and I are testing fireworks."

"Fireworks? What are they?" Edwina worriedly asked.

"Fireworks for the festival, of course!" the boy replied. "I have never seem you around here before, who are you?"

Before Edwina could reply, one of the boys repeatedly poked Alphonsa with a stick. "What's with this guy? He's dressed weird."

"I'm a girl!" Alphonsa cried.

"Stop it!" said Edwina, breaking the child's stick in half with a shift hand chop.

"That seems like fun. Go for it, guys!" the leader commanded his friends.

All the boys except the leader ran over and poked Alphonsa with their sticks.

"I said stop it!" Edwina cried swinging her fist at one of the boys but the youngster dodged. Alphonsa tried to get away from the boys. Unlike Edwina, Alphonsa was a strong pacifist, only using violence when necessary, and she could not bare to hit children, no matter how annoying they were being.

Alphonsa turned around and tried to run away, but accidentally stepped on Edwina's foot, cause both of them to lose their balance. The younger girl tried to grab the head of a small statue, but it broke off and she fell on top of her sister. The boys took advantage of fact that the two girls had fallen over and sat down of Alphonsa to stop them from escaping.

"We won!" cheered one of the boys wearing a waistcoat.

"They are so weak," said the leader.

"Causing trouble, are you all?"

The boys looked around to see a man they knew very well. The man had a wrinkled face and matted shoulder-length hair in a dull brown colour. His eyes were the droopy kind, and, along with the wrinkles, foretold that old age was very soon coming to him.

The boys and the still pinned Elrics watched as the man picked up the head of the statues Alphonsa had broken and, with activation of a Transmutation Circle on the band around his wrist, reattached the head to the pillar.

"You're Majihal?" Edwina asked the man. He nodded.

The young girl had been expecting someone a little different; she has been anticipating someone younger.

* * *

Alphonsa stared around the front room of Majihal's house. She amazed by the sheer size of the place.

"I must say, you fixed your younger sister's soul to this armour quite well, young lady."

Alphonsa looked up form her cup of tea, shocked. "H-he knows my secret, Nee-san!"

"I would expect nothing else from a child of Hohenheim. It would appear you have inherited his talent," Majihal said.

The blonde alchemist felt more guilt than pride.

"Now, what is it can I do for you?" Majihal asked. "If it's a request from the daughters of my good friend, then I must try my best to fulfil it."

"I want to hear what you know about Human Transmutation," Edwina said.

"Human Transmutation?" Majihal repeated. "You know that is forbidden right?"

"Yes, but well…I want to…I want to restore Al's body to her."

"It costs a great deal to perform a Human Transmutation. I understand your feelings, but only God is permitted to do such a thing."

"Then why did you have a conversation with our father about it?"

"You could say it was because of my youthful injudiciousness."

At that moment, a knock sounded on the front door of the house. Majihal went over and opened it. Standing there was a woman with brown hair and a wrinkled but kind face.

"Majihal-sama, I have made some jam from roses, you can have it if you like," the woman said, and took a small jar out of her hooded cloak.

"I am thankful for your gifts, Lebi," the middle-aged said, smiling as he took the jar. "Thank you."

"N-not at all," the woman said. She looked at her feet.

"Is there something else you want?" Majihal kindly asked.

"N-no, I'm sorry, I'll go now."

"Okay then. Be careful out there."

The woman left before Majihal could see her tears.

Majihal walked over to the oven, reached inside and took out a huge roast dinner, complete with all the trimmings. Edwina's mouth watered at the sight. "Would you like some dinner, daughters of Hohenheim?" Majihal asked.

"Oh yes, please!" said Edwina.

"It looks delicious, Majihal-san, but I am quite full at the moment," Alphonsa said. She tried her best to ignore Edwina as she wolfed down the meal. _You have no idea on how to act like a lady, do you Nee-san? _The armour girl thought.

"Is there going to be a festival taking place here soon?" Alphonsa asked the man in front of her.

"Yes. It is a festival honouring the dead. We place the souls of the deceased inside the fireworks and send them to heaven," Majihal replied.

"I heard a rumour about this village," Edwina spoke up, her mouth full.

"Really?" said Majihal

"It says that that the dead come back to life and attack the villagers." Edwina said, and swallowed. "Would this festival have anything to do with it?"

The middle-aged man chuckled before replying, "that is a just a rumour with no truth at all."

Another knock sounded on the door.

"My, my…I have a lot of guests today," Majihal said, getting up and opening the door.

"You!" Edwina shouted.

It was the red cap-wearing boy from earlier, along with his father.

"Stop it, Klose!" said the boy's father, putting his hand on the boy's head to stop him running at the blonde girl.

"Majihal-sama, Klose has come to say something," the man said.

Klose pulled away and cried, "Why should I have to apologise?" He pointed at Edwina and Alphonsa. "It's their fault for, unlike me, being typical weak girls!"

The Elrics were surprised.

"That little brat is a _girl_?" Edwina whispered to Alphonsa, flexing her arm. "I'm going to hit her right now for what she just said!"

"No, you won't," Alphonsa said and grabbed the older girl before she could move.

"Klose, I understand that you are upset and angry because of your older sister's death, but you were a kind girl when she was alive. What would she say if she saw you now?"

"Shut up!" Klose shouted. "You don't know how I feel! No one knows how I feel! My sister didn't just die…she was killed! I know that because she came back to life!"

"Come back to life?" Edwina echoed.

The young boy - or rather, girl - turned and started run away, too upset to say anything more.

"Klose!" her father called after her.

"Leave me alone!" the blue-green-eyed child shouted back as she accelerated.

"Hey, wait!" Edwina cried. Along with Alphonsa, she gave chase.

Klose's hat had fallen over her eyes and she now was running blind. Due to this, she did not notice a small rock on the path, tripped over it and went tumbling down a hill, screaming. Edwina, worried the that girl was going to go hurtling in the river at the bottom of the hill, quickly drew and activated a Transmutation Circle, freezing the river. For a few worrying moments Klose slid across the ice, but came to a safe, unharmed halt near the middle of the frozen water. Both the older girls gave a sigh of relief.

"Are you…an alchemist?" Klose asked after dazedly getting up.

"We both are," Alphonsa answered.

Klose walked up to the older girls and sit down next to them. The two other girls sat down as well.

"My sister died six months ago. No-one could find the cause." Klose explained. "Another villager walked by and saw her lying dead, as if she was sleeping. And, on the day of the funeral…"

_Klose, a black cloak over her dress, sobbed as she looked at the crucifix-shaped gravestone in front of her. Her father put a comforting hand on her shoulder._

"_Klose…" the man trailed off as the wind suddenly picked up speed. His eyes widened as he turned around._

"_K-Karin…?" he stuttered._

_The curly haired woman faded away before either Klose or her father could do anything._

"Dad told me that Karin was a woman who lived in this village." Klose stood up and turned to the Elrics as she continued, "Do you see? Karin came back to live and killed my sister! I'm sure of it! And she's not the only one! If you two really are alchemists, can you avenge my sister for me? Majihal-san won't do anything, so please, can you…?"

"Of course Majihal-san won't do anything." Edwina answered.

"What do you mean?" Klose asked.

Edwina got to her feet. "No-one would believe such a story. Also, I don't particularly like the fact that you want revenge."

"What's with that excuse?" Klose snapped, mood quickly changing. "You're just scared! You call yourselves alchemists? You are just a small girl and her walking metal can!"

"Small…?" Edwina hissed.

"Walking metal can…?" Alphonsa said, upset. However, unlike the older Elric, she did not explode with anger.

"Don't call me small! I am going to take a growth spurt soon!" Edwina shouted at the blacked-haired girl.

"You're still small right now!" Klose shouted back. "You're a chibi! Chibi! Chibi! Super hyper ultra chibi!"

"Shut up! If you're a girl why don't you dress like one?"

"I could say the same about you! Besides, that's none of your business!"

Klose turning around and ran away once again. Edwina simply stared angrily after her.

* * *

The next morning, Edwina and Alphonsa decided they would investigate about the woman called Karin.

"Karin? Ah, yes. She used to live here." Majihal explained. "She grew roses for a living, and was a very beautiful woman. She managed to grow a very rare type of flower, the blue rose. She had such a wonderful smile. One day she when on a journey to bring the blue roses to the city folk. But…" The man took a small breathe to steady himself before continuing, "Along the way however…the wagon was going along a cliff and caught on a rock and fell over, and Karin was thrown over the edge of cliff and fell to her death."

"But people saying that Karin is attacking villagers," Edwina stated.

"That is impossible. The dead cannot be resurrected. Even if she were to come back to life, Karin would never attack anyone. She was such a sweet, kind, loving woman."

The blonde alchemist did not reply.

The Elrics decided to return to the room that Majihal had kindly given them to stay. Once the door was locked Alphonsa spoke, "What do you think about this, Nee-san?"

"Well, Majihal is correct about the fact that the dead do not come back to life," Edwina replied her little sister. "But if someone perform did Human Transmutation…Majihal-san is the only resident of this village who could do it–"

Alphonsa jumped a little as Edwina jumped out of the chair she had being sitting and run outside the room.

"Did you hear that?" she asked, staring down the hallway.

"Hear what?" Alphonsa asked.

Edwina just continued to look down the hallway. _I'm positive I heard something…but what?_

Meanwhile, as Edwina was trying to figure out what she had heard, Klose, one of her young friends, and three other villagers went to Majihal's house, as Klose had a plan. They all sat at the table while Klose explained her plan. Lebi, who had stopped over for a meal, secretly listened to the girl's plan.

"We're really going to do that?" Klose's friend asked.

"Yeah, we're going to catch the zombie-woman Karin by ourselves," the girl replied.

"Oh…" said the boy

"What? Are you scared?" Klose asked.

"Maybe."

"Look, if we don't do something, someone else could be killed!"

"Well…"

A plate smashed on the floor, cutting the boy short.

"Are you ok, lady?" one of the men at the table asked.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry," Lebi replied nervously.

"I won't charge you, so…"

"Anyway, we'll do it tonight. Got it?" Klose asked.

"Yes," the boy replied.

* * *

Edwina and Alphonsa walked though the graveyard Klose said Karin had appeared in. Edwina was carrying a lantern to light the way. Alphonsa was nervous and jumped at every little sound.

"Nee-san, wait for me!" Alphonsa squeaked, moving close to her sister.

"What? Are you afraid, Al?"

"J-just a little. No zombies will come out, will they?"

"Don't be stupid. If the rumours are true, then they would have been done via Human Transmutation, remember? So we shoul–wah!"

The girl let a cry as the ground suddenly gave way underneath her, plummeting herself and Alphonsa into a hole and creating dust clouds.

Out of the bushes near the hole, Klose, and the other two villagers emerged.

"We got her!" said the plump villager said as they all run towards the trap. Their smiles were abruptly wiped off their faces when they saw a suit of armour with a blond girl trapped underneath in the hole.

"I can't breathe, Al…" Edwina gasped, struggling weakly.

Klose sighed. "You two…"

Her friend gasping cut off the young girl. "L-look!" he said, pointing. Klose looked in the direction the boy was pointing gave a gasp of her own. Standing there, staring at one of the graves - was the ghostly figure of Karin.

Slowly, Karin turned and looked at the group. All except Klose were terrified, and run.

_So you are the one who killed my sister, _Klose thought, and run at the figure, desperate for revenge. Just as she was reaching Karin, Klose was knocked to the ground. After recovering from a small daze, the girl looked up, and saw Majihal, a lantern in his hand, standing protectively in front of her. She watched as Majihal activated his wristband, sending fire hurtling at the Karin. The woman let out an inhuman shriek as she was consumed by the flames.

_That sound…I've heard it before… _thoughta now freed Edwina.

"Let's go, all of you," Majihal said to the three girls standing behind him.

As the group of four walked, fireworks lit up the sky. The Festival of the Dead was in full swing.

As he walked into the centre of the celebrations, thankful people surrounded Majihal.

"You did a good job, Majihal-sama," one man congratulated the alchemist.

"We knew you would get rid of that zombie," added a second.

The Elric sisters, after saying good night to Klose, returned the middle-aged alchemist's house, and Edwina began checking rooms, as she still had not finished her investigation.

"What is it, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

"That woman wasn't a zombie, nor was she the result of human Transmutation. It made the same noise I heard earlier," Edwina replied.

The two girls turned when a candle sparked into life near them.

"Majihal will be angry if he his guests are walking around his mansion without his permission," said the holder of the candle, Lebi.

"Oh yeah, what about you?" Edwina asked.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa yelped, as her sister suddenly put her hand on her head, wincing as though in pain. She tried to catch the blonde as she toppled sideways, but missed and Edwina fell into the room she had moments ago been tried to open. The girl took one look at the shock that met her eyes in the room before her head dropped to the floor and she lay still.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa cried. She tried to get closer to the unconscious girl, but was blinded and halted by a flash of red light.

* * *

Edwina's eyes opened and her vision slowly focused.

"Nee-san, are you ok?" Alphonsa asked.

"I think…"

It occurred to Edwina that she was chained, back-to-back, with her little sister.

"So, you're awake."

Edwina turned to see Lebi and Majihal standing near her.

"It would seem the two of you have seen more than what you should," Majihal continued.

"Yeah. We saw the truth of that zombie. What you did was–" Edwina was interrupted.

"That's right. Fixation of the soul. I was going to fix the soul of a villager girl to a doll that looked exactly like Karin." Majihal said, gesturing to the many dolls that Edwina had seen before she had fainted. "I even thought about using your soul, girl. Then people would less suspicious;"

"But you failed," Edwina said, stopped a gasp form escaping form her mouth.

"Souls do not fix to another contain so easily. And even if it does, it will not function to its full capacity. Some subjects wondered about the village by themselves."

"Do you realise what you are doing? For what reason are you–"

"Karin was the only woman I ever loved. The wound left in my heart caused by Karin's death would not heal, even after many years. That was when I decided to use alchemy to revive my love and end my suffering. Human Transmutation was too much of a risk to me. So I decide to create something similar to Karin."

"You're one sick person!" Edwina growled.

"No! All I want is my dear Karin back! You're going to help me do it."

"As if!"

"I see, you are just as stubborn as your father, Hohenheim."

The door to the room quietly opened and Klose peeped in.

"I-I come to say thank you," she said, shocked at he sight before her.

"Foolish child," said Majihal, approaching the young girl.

"Don't!" Edwina cried.

Too late. Majihal struck Klose on the back of the head knocking her senseless. The man knew the condition with only last a little while, so he had to be fast.

"Please, Majihal-sama, stop this!" Lebi pleaded, grabbing Majihal's arm.

"Silence! This had nothing to do with you!" the alchemist shouted, throwing Lebi to the floor heartlessly. Picking up a Karin doll on his was out, Majihal set off.

"Al, do something!" The older Elric shouted.

"Almost there…" said Alphonsa, staining against the chains. They whine under the pressure and, after a few more minutes, they snapped. "Got it!"

Edwin quickly got up and crouched beside Lebi. She spotted something underneath the woman cloak's, in her hair.

_Huh? A blue rose? _She thought, and then gasped as she realised the truth.

Meanwhile, Majihal had reached the room in which he had drawn a Transmutation Circle for the Soul Fixation. He quickly tied a still unaware Klose to a chair along with the Karin doll.

"I will use this girl's soul. So come back to me and smile, Karin!" Majihal said as he activated the Transmutation Circle. At that moment, Klose regained her senses. Immediately realising what was happening from the purple light around her, the young girl began to struggle.

"No! Please stop!" she begged, struggling harder.

"Stop, Majihal! You don't understand!"

The man turned to see Edwina, Alphonsa and Lebi running into the room.

"What you have sought all these years had been right before you, you just never realised!" Edwina said.

"What are you talking about?" Majihal snapped.

"Karin-san is not dead! After that accident she lost her memory and took up residence in another village."

_Impossible, no one could survive a fall like that, _Majihal thought.

"After twenty years, Karin-san regained her memory and come to see you right away. But you didn't even notice. Now look!"

The blonde girl turned and pulled the cloak off Lebi.

_What…? _Majihal thought, stopping his Transmutation.

The woman standing before him had a wrinkled face, but had hair similar to Karin's and was wearing a blue rose in her hair.

"Majihal," said the woman, smiling.

Majihal just stared. "That woman…is Karin?" He backed away. "No, she can't be. Karin was more beautiful than anyone. Like a rose…"

"Don't you see? A rose withers away over time. But Karin's feeling for you have not!" Edwina said.

"Be quiet, girl…if you say anything more…I swear I'll will _kill _you!" the middle-aged alchemist growled, picking up a screwdriver and transmuting it into a sword. Edwina and Karin were frozen as Majihal launched himself at them. Alphonsa realised this and moved in front on of them pushing the man back. He staggered a little before, undeterred, lunging again. Edwina, terrified, grabbed the flower from Karin's hair and transmutated into a long vine, and used it to knock the sword out of Majihal's hand.

Everyone watched as the weapon spun around in the air. Then, as though in slow motion, the sword fell. Blood spurted form Majihal's mouth as the sword impaled him, and he fell to the floor.

"Majihal!" Cried Karin, running and kneeling next to the wounded man. "Majihal!"

"No…you are definitely not Karin…" Majihal gasped. He looked at the Karin doll. "There is no way you could be Karin…"

"No! Please, you can't say that! It really is me! It's me, Karin! Your only love!" Karin begged, unable to stop the tears. But Majihal could no longer hear her. She screamed as her heart broke.

Outside fireworks continued to light the sky, the villagers unaware of the tragedy that had just occurred.

* * *

It was the morning after the night before. The Elric sisters stood waiting for the wagon that was to take them out of the village so that they could continue their journey. Edwina turned to her little sister.

"Why do you look so depressed, Al?" she asked.

"Well, as we saw last night, alchemy can delude people." the armour girl replied.

"Yeah…you're right," Edwina said.

A horse whinnied, catching the blonde alchemist's attention. "There's our ride."

As the two girls were about to climb into the wagon, they heard a shout behind them. They turned to see a pretty girl with long black hair and blue-green eyes, wearing a just as pretty dress.

"Sorry for everything," the girl said. "You two really were great alchemists after all."

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Edwina asked.

"Wait a minute…are you Klose?" Alphonsa asked.

The girl smiled and nodded.

The two sisters looked at each other. "What?"

"What's with that reaction?" Klose snapped, then sighed. "Since I have starting dressing like a girl again, maybe you could too?"

Edwina thought for a few moments, but she could not image herself in a dress, or even a skirt. Alphonsa on the other hand, on her _Things To Do When I Get My Body Back _list, one of the main things was to buy and wear a pretty dress.

"No, Klose, sorry. Can't see myself doing that," Edwina said.

The two girls climbed into the wagon. Edwina leaned out of the window and shouted, "You look better that way, Klose! See you Later!"

Klose smiled and waved goodbye as the wagon went out of site.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, dear readers! Leave a review if you want.**

**Thank you! ^_^**


	6. The Man with the Mechanical Arm

**Chapter 5**

_**The Man with the Mechanical Arm**_

The Elric sisters had arrived at the train station in a much more comfortable way then they had left.

Edwinastood, tapping her foot impatiently, as she waited for the phone to connect and put her though to Central Command. Alphonsa's attention had been caught by a small bakery and she was happily talking to the owner. Finally, Edwina heard a voice at he other end say, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Hello, this is Edwina Elric. Am I speaking to Lieutenant Colonel Roya Mustang?" The girl asked.

"Yes," the woman on the other end replied.

"I will be riding the 9:20 train to Central City."

"Roger that. Oh, wait…" the Lieutenant Colonel looked at the schedule. "Isn't there one leaving before that?"

"Well, yes, but its literary minutes from leaving," the blonde girl replied.

A shout of "All aboard!" confirmed the young alchemist's statement.

"Get on that one."

"Why?"

"That's an order."

A whistle sounded.

Putting down the phone, Edwina called, "Al, come on!"

Alphonsa lifted the bag of cakes she had just bought and run after her older sister.

In her office, Mustang smirked. "I am going to test that girl,"

Upon hearing the Lieutenant Colonel's plan, the woman's subordinates sighed.

* * *

"I really don't understand that Mustang," Edwina taking a bite from the cake Alphonsa had given her. "I wonder what kind of person she is."

In the seat behind the two girls, a much younger girl popped up and looked curiously at Alphonsa. The younger Elric sister waved, and the little girl ducked down.

Alphonsa sighed. "Nee-san, do I look frightening?"

"Of course you don–"

"Look, mummy, a weird person!"

"Marin, be quiet," the girl's mother told her.

"But it's funny, because they're wearing armour inside a train. I can't even tell if they are a girl or a boy."

Thinking she was being brave, the little girl popped up for another wave.

"See, Al? She likes you. Don't you?" Edwina asked the child.

She nodded.

"My name is Alphonsa, and I'm a girl," Alphonsa told the youngster.

"I'm Marin!" the girl said, before her attention was caught by something else. It was Edwina's accidentally exposed metal arm.

"Do you think it's cool?" the blonde alchemist asked, pushing up her sleeve for Marin to get a closer look.

"Yeah! Is it…oh, what it's called…au…au…auto…automail?"

"It sure is."

"Come on now, Marin, don't start being a bother to them," the child's mother said, patting her daughter on the head. The girl, with a final smile, settled back into her seat.

In another carriage, a man called General Hakuro, who had just return from a lovely family holiday, sat with his family and his subordinate, who had met up with them at the train station. His son and daughter were fast asleep on their mother's lap.

"Those two must be exhausted from all the fun they had. I'm glad we had no trouble in the holiday," Hakuro commented.

His wife nodded in agreement.

"I heard the East was quite dangerous, sir, but it looks like it wasn't that bad," said the man's subordinate.

The two of them laughed.

Outside the room, Warrant Officer Vato Falman, who was on patrol along with another man, sighed. He was the oldest of Lieutenant Colonel Mustang's subordinates, his hair mostly grey, and he had an unusual habit in that he always has his eyes closed, yet he was fully aware of everything that happened around him. _The higher-ups are too easygoing_, he thought. "Now I wonder where Major Hughes has gone to."

"He is contacting Lieutenant Colonel Mustang about that case, sir," Falman's partner answered.

"Case? I hope you're right," said Falman, glancing at a door that was two along from the one he was guarding.

He was wrong.

Major Maes Hughes, a tall and lean man with a thin chinstrap of scruffy beard and black, jovially spiky hair ending in a characteristic forelock, was rambling on as he usually did when he got a hold of a telephone. He adjusted his rectangular glasses that framed his hazel eyes as he spoke.

"My wife has gotten more beautiful since her pregnancy began," Hughes said. "She is like an angel that has come to earth."

On the other end of the line, Mustang slammed the phone down. Her patience was really wearing thin.

Hughes frowned as the line went dead. "Train telephone lines are so unstable."

Outside, Falman sighed again and decided to go back on patrol.

After fiddling around with phone for a few minutes, Hughes had managed to reconnect to Mustang, and begun prattling on once again.

"I am so worried. What if the baby is born tomorrow?" he said.

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Mustang cut across her friend. "Hughes, I have heard that story at least fiftytimes now. If you want to talk about that, call your wife, not me!"

"Speaking of which, when are you going to settle down and marry a nice gentleman? I mean, you are close to your thirties and–"

Everyone in Roya Mustang's office jumped as she snapped upon hearing the Major's latest statement. After a few minutes of silent fuming, and resisting the urge to find the major and beat him up, Mustang put the phone back to her ear and said, "Hughes, can I give you some feminine advice?"

"Go on."

Everyone jumped again as Mustang screamed, "BABIES AREN'T BORN AFTER JUST FIVE MONTHES!"

Hughes pouted.

Meanwhile, a few along carriages along, Falman opened the door at the next carriage he was checking and looked around. Everything seemed normal, everything - expect the person wearing a suit of armour sitting in one of the seats. _How suspicious, _the Warrant Officer thought.

He left the carriage to report his findings.

* * *

"Hughes, you can stop talking for now, we have confirmed this line isn't being tapped. So, have you seen anyone suspicious yet?" Mustang asked the Major, relieved that she didn't have to listen to his stories anymore.

"Well…there are more people than expected on the train. That is though, if you count those in private compartments."

The other telephone in the room started to ring.

"Hang on, someone else is calling,"

Hughes picked up the other phone, "Hello?"

"I found someone suspicious!" Falman said.

"What?" the confused Major said.

"I found a person in this large suit of armour,"

Hughes heard Mustang laughing on the other line.

"That person is fine. Did she have a short, blonde girl with her?" The woman asked.

"I'll check," said Falman

Placing the telephone down, Falman run back to the carriage and up to the girl in the suit of armour. Alphonsa looked up as he came, but Edwina, who was asleep, did not notice.

"She does have a girl with her. And she really is small,"

Edwina did notice that, even when she was asleep, she never missed someone insulting her. Spring to her feet, the young alchemist shouted, "WHO DID YOU SAY WAS SO TINY SHE CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFING GLASS!"

Surprised by the girl's temper the Warrant Officer replied, "No…uh, I don't mean…"

All of a sudden, two men sitting in the carriage pulled out guns. Falman was quick to realise was going on, and pulled out his own gun and pointed at one the men. He did not notice on the man behind him however, who hit him on the back of the head, knocking him out.

Everyone started to panic. Marin grabbed onto her mother, who wrapped her arms protectively around her child.

"Shut up, all of you!" one of the terrorists said. "Get your hands in the air where we can see them!"

Everyone, included the Elrics, did as they were told.

Further along the train, General Hakuro, his wife, and his children all jumped when the door to their compartment was flung open. Upon seeing the two men are the door were armed, Hakuro's subordinate tried to defend the group with his pistol, but was quickly gunned down by one of the men who was wielding a powerful automatic rifle.

Hakuro's eyes widened as he recognised the new person who had approached the compartment. "You…" he said.

The tall, muscled, intimidating man, who had an eye patch covering his missing left eye, and dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail a moustache, ands smirked and said, "Nice to see you again…General Hakuro."

Meanwhile, two more terrorists had found on the most important rooms in the train: the radio room.

One of the men smiled triumphantly and ordered his partner, "Tell Bald we've secured the radio communicator. It looks as if no one has used it!"

* * *

The telephone in the Lieutenant Colonel's office started to ring again.

"Could it be him?" asked Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, a man whom Mustang trusted the most out of all her subordinates. Without answering Hawkeye's question, Mustang picked up the telephone receiver.

"General Hakuro, who is travelling on a train, has am emergency message for Central Command," said a female voice.

"Put him though," said Mustang.

"It's me. Is that you, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang?" Hakuro realised how nervous he sounded. He had not one, but two guns pointed at his head.

Bald took the phone the General now that connection had being had established.

"My name is Bald. I am a member of 'Blue Squad,' a group of frontline freedom fighters for eastern liberation. This train is under our control," The man told the woman on the other end.

"What are your demands?" Mustang asked.

"Don't play dumb, woman," Bald snapped. "Today we suddenly lost commutation with one of our members. This person was supposed to send you a statement."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," the Lieutenant Colonel relied.

_This is why I hoped to speak with a man, _Bald angrily thought. "Look lady, bring our leader, who is being held in the Eighth Prison, to Central Command. I will trade hostages with you, the General for our leader. Do we have a deal?"

"Very well then. In exchange, do not kill anyone onboard the train. Or else…" Mustang put the phone down.

"Ma'am, I have that statement here. If the General finds out, we will be heard responsible."

"It's okay, we will sort this out. Besides…" Mustang's hair swished as she turned to the blonde man, smiled deviously and finished, "I already took the necessary precautions."

Hawkeye was still not convinced.

On the other side of the phone line, Bald put the receiver back on its cradle, turned to General Hakuro and growled, "If this Mustang woman screws up…consider yourself and all other passengers dead."

* * *

The two men, who had taken the people in one of the carriages hostage, after tying up Falman, were now searching the passengers. One of them looked up to see a blonde girl and a person in a suit of armour he did not like the look of. Motioning to his partner and muttering something, the two men make there way over to the two people, guns cocked.

"N-Nee-san," whispered Alphonsa.

"I know," Edwina whispered back.

The men come to a halt. "Hey, girlie…"

"Look!" the blond alchemist cried, pointing behind the men. They turned. Suddenly one of men cried out as a knee collided with his face, and he fell to floor, unconscious.

"Why, you little bit–" the second men was cut off by a large leather and armour hand crashing down on his head. He swayed for a few moments, before he too fell. The two girls smiled triumphantly.

"Why did you two do that?" one of the passengers asked the girls.

"Huh?" said Edwina.

"What if other members saw this and come to get revenge?"

"I agree," added another passenger.

"If you had co-operated and not did that, we all may have gotten to Central City safely," added a third.

All the passengers started to mutter worriedly amongst themselves.

"What should we do, Nee-san?" Alphonsa whispered.

"Well…" the older girl trailed off as she saw one of the terrorists start to wake up. The man quickly grabbed his gun and pointed at Marin, the nearest person.

"No, don't! Shoot me instead!" the girl's mother pleaded. The man did not heed and cocked his gun, but before he could fight, he was pinned to the ground by a pointed metal foot. Edwina pulled the gun out the man's hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked the woman.

"Yes, I think…" she answered.

"That's good," the young alchemist said with a sigh of relief.

The other passengers, now back in their muttered amongst themselves once again.

"That was really scary…" Marin muttered. "These people…they're really scary…"

Edwina turned and crouched at girl's height. "Don't worry. Al and I will do something about this."

The child, choking back a sob, nodded.

"Let's go, Al."

"Okay," said the younger girl.

The two of them were just about to leave before a voice called, "Hey, you two, help me out!"

It was Falman. Edwina made her way over, Alphonsa following, to the military officer and started to untie him.

_I feel so humiliated…if Lieutenant Colonel Mustang finds out…she won't be too pleased._

"Who are you two anyway?" the man asked the two girls.

"We're just a pair of alchemist sisters," the blonde girl replied.

"Really? My name is Vato Falman. I am a Warrant Officer."

"A member of the Military? You don't look like one," Edwina said eying the man's grey suit.

Falman laughed and replied, "I have a very good reason to be dressed like this." He lowered his voice to a whisper "You see, in the front carriage there is…"

Edwina gasped as the man told her. "So those terrorists are after…"

The man nodded.

"Those bastards got some many innocent people involved in this…" the girl said angrily as she stood up, Falman now freed. She turned to her little sister.

"Al, I am going to fight back from the top, you stay down there and fight back along with this Falman guy."

After hesitating for a few moments, the girl nodded. Edwina left. After about ten minutes of searching, she found a way of the train.

She could not help but feel nervous as she climbed on the top of the steam locomotive. She had never tried "train walking" before. She wobbled a little and tried to keep as still as possible to in order to get used to the moving of the train and the wind gusting around her. She tentatively took a step forward. She did not fall off and was glad. Slowly, she began to walk.

Underneath the girl, in the radio room, one of the terrorists was answering a phone call.

"Hey, I hate to admit it, but, we need help!" said the man who was making the phone call.

The man checked where the call had come from. It was one of the rear carriages. He, along with his partner, went to check out what was going on.

* * *

Alphonsa groaned to herself as she went to deal with her share of the terrorists.

_Why do I have to do this? I hate violence. This is Nee-san's kind of th–_

A man opened the door to the carriage. The first thing he saw was her towering above him.

"No, no, you don't need to shoot, just drop you weapon, plea–"

The man fired. The bullets had no effect, but despite this, Alphonsa lost it. "If you would just listen to me, sir!" she shouted. The man suddenly cried out as he was hit in the knee by one of his own bullets.

"I was trying to warn you about the bullets ricocheting…" the armour girl sighed. The second man, upon seeing his partner, started to fire his own rifle - and got the same result. Alphonsa just sighed again.

Back in the radio room, the other man grabbed the phone dial a number, and once it had connected, said. "Bald, we have lost communication with the rear carriages!"

"What's going on?" the man answering the call asked Bald.

"It just as I thought…they were prepared for this." Bald said, irritated.

"Can't you just give up?"

The two men turned to the speaker, the General.

"You have caused enough trouble already. Just surrender and let myself and the other passengers go," Hakuro said and yelped as a bullet grazed him. The man's wife and children became even more terrified.

"I'm the one giving orders here, _General!_" Bald snarled turned turn to the man next to him and ordered, "Check the whole train again! Check the outside too!"

Back on top of the train, Edwina was become less worried about falling off the carriage and was beginning to walk slightly faster, her automail arm creaking in rhythm to her steps. The girl was suddenly caught off-guard by a large gust of wind. The wind of so strong it blew the 11-year-old off her feet and sent her tumbling backwards. She surly would have been blown off an arm had not snagged her out of the air at the very last moment. She looked up at the person who had saved her. It was a man with black hair and rectangular glasses.

"Are you ok?" the man asked the young girl.

"Y-yeah…" she replied.

"I am Major Maes Hughes. You are Edwina Elric-chan, yes?" the man kindly asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang told me about you."

"She did?"

"Yeah, we're old friends." The man said, then a slightly sterner tone, said, "Listen, I think we should work together to get rid of these terrorists."

Edwina nodded and smiled. She had back up.

Edwina and her new friend made their way up to the back carriage of the train, where the engine was located. She leaned over the edge of the train and looked into the window. Inside were two more of the terrorists their guns pointed at the engine workers. Chuckling, the girl stuck her tongue out at one of the men. He turned, to late to see the girl move out of sight.

Due to the fact that they were looking that other way, they did not notice Major Hughes slip silently in the room. Hughes was quick to act, using his weapon of choice - throwing knifes. Almost too fast to see, Hughes took a throwing knife of his sleeves and threw at one of the terrorists, impaling him in the hand, causing him to scream in pain and drop his gun.

"Who are you?" the other terrorist demanded of Hughes as he saw the other man fall. He was about to start firing his gun at the major, but was knocked to the ground by Edwina swinging forwards and kicking him as she flew though the air. The two engine workers, now freed, sought their revenge. They begin to beat and punch the two terrorists.

The man who was with Bald heard the commotion and was looking out of a hole in the top of the vehicle, shotgun in hand. He spotted a girl climbing up the outside ladder a little way along the train.

"Say goodnight, girlie," the man said and fired. Edwina ducked, the bullet missing her by centimetres.

Seeing the near miss, Hughes shouted over the roaring wind, "Be careful!"

Edwina did not hear him. She was focusing on drawing a transmutation circle wither her chalk on the side of the train. Once it was drawn, the girl quickly activated the circle. The man who had shoot the girl gasped as blue lightening buzzed and a large cannon seemed to rise out of the top of the transport vehicle.

"What the…?" the man could not believe his eyes. Edwina climbed up and over to the cannon, and with a cheeky wave of goodbye, fired it, hitting the man square in the face and knocking him down.

"Amazing…" Hughes marvelled as he leaned out of the window.

"Hey! Don't mess about with the tender, kid, the train won't function without it!" one of the engine workers shouted to the alchemist girl.

"Sorry!" Edwina shouted back. _Wait…tender…?_ She thought. Her face turned fierce as she can up with a plan.

The man who had being hit by the cannonball had recovered and was now speaking to Bald. "This isn't good, there's this girl and man interfering with things!"

"Bald! We have lost all communications! They were talking about some armoured girl," said the other terrorist in the room.

"Shut up, both of you!" Bald shouted.

Suddenly a voice sounded on the loudspeaker above the door. _"Testing…testing"_

_What? _Thought Bald, the voice sounded like a young girl.

"_Hey, criminals, can you hear me?" _it said.

"What is going on?" said another of the men.

"_How dare you threaten innocent people!" _the voice continued. _"Release the hostages at once!"_

"Are you the person that Mustang sent?" Bald insisted to know. "If you interfere any further, I will kill all the all the passengers one by one!"

"_Oh, you will, will you?" _Edwina said. _"Well then…"_

Underneath the loudspeaker, something was transmutated.

"A water pipe?" said one of the men, confused.

"_Hostages, take cover!" _the voice on the loudspeaker said. General Hakuro and his family did as they were told.

Bald's eyes widened as a torrent of water rushed though the pipe, putting the whole carriage underwater.

"Here we go!" said Alphonsa, who had arrived at the scene and pulled open the door, causing all the men expect Bald to fly out, propelled by the water, and slam against again the wall of the next, taller carriage. They all looked up to see a large suit of armour standing above them.

"Hello there, pleased to meet you all," Alphonsa said sweetly - before she began to punch the men senseless. It was times like this the younger Elric remembered that she did sometimes enjoy violence.

Inside the carriage, Bald was just getting to his feet. Hughes, who was waiting, opened the door of the room he had snuck gone into.

"Don't move," he said, knife at the ready. "You're the leader, right?"

Hughes threw his knife as the man turned to attack him and was suspires as the knife pinged of the man's arm, the damage being to the man's coat. The major moved out of the way, as the man raised his right arm, and bullets rained done on him from the arm. Hughes was not fast enough in moving out of the way and suppressed a yelp as he was shot in in the shoulder.

"Damn it…!" Hughes hissed.

"Before I kill the General, I am going to kill you!" Bald said.

"I don't think so!"

Bald looked up to see someone falling into the room. Edwina grabbed the man's wrists and planted her feet firmly on the ground to try and stop the man from moving. The two of them began to strain against each other. Edwina felt metal instead of flesh on the man's left arm.

"A fellow automail wearer, eh?" the alchemist said.

"A child? The Military uses children? What's they use _female _children?" said Bald.

"Sorry for my age and my gender, then. And I am not being used!"

"Let my tell you something, kid. I was in the Military a long time ago. While I was there, I wanted to equip myself with something powerful, but the higher ups didn't like it. They were worried I would become too strong. After I got the surgery to equip this, I was dismissed. That is why…I am going to destroy the military!"

Bald broke free of Edwina's grasp and before she could react, drove a fist across her face, knocking her flying. Edwina cried out in pain and Hughes cried put in anger out as she slammed against the carriage wall and slid onto the floor, dazed.

"You unconscious, kid?" Bald asked, seeing the girl not move as he approached her. Then, as he came to a stop, she looked at him defiantly "If you had an arm like mine, instead of that piece of scrap metal, then you would want the same as me!" Bald said.

"My childhood friend and my aunt built me this arm. Don't you _dare_ insult their artisanship. The arm is well better than your cheap lump of rubbish!"

As Edwina finished her sentence, Bald, even more infuriated, brought his arm crashing down toward the young alchemist, aiming to crack her skull open. As the man cam within range, Edwina grabbed the man's arm in her own mechanical limb - and crushed the gun part into metal splinters. Bald stumbled back in shock and stared the remains of the arm.

All of a sudden, the man felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw standing behind him was the girl in the suit of armour standing behind him, its hands behind its back.

"How dare you hurt my Nee-san! You are going to pay!" Alphonsa cried, deliberately trying to sound childish and cute.

"Oh? What are going to do? You sound like a 10-year-old brat!" Bald laughed.

"I am going to…do this!" Alphonsa shouted the last before she reached back and punched the man in the face as hard as she could; just he had done to her older sister. Also like Edwina, the man went flying, but unlike her, landed of the floor instead of slammed against a wall. The two girls watched as the man twitched but did not try to get up. Edwina got to her feet with a sigh of relief. It was all over. Alphonsa gave Edwina a thumps-up and Edwina returned the gesture. Even Hughes gave a smile despite his injury. "Some people…" the Major sighed.

* * *

The train finally arrived at Central Station, all the passengers safe and alive. Many Military solders were waiting and they quickly arrested all pf the terrorists. Hughes al got some medical attention for his wound.

Lieutenant Colonel Mustang, along with two of her subordinates Rizo Hawkeye and Jean Havoc, walked to the tied up Bald.

"I told you not to kill anyone," Mustang said, a smirk on her face. "Looks like you obeyed those orders even if it was against your will."

Bald glared at the women and asked, "You're Mustang, right?"

Suddenly a blade came out of the man's ruined automail, and he leaped to his feet and charged at the Lieutenant Colonel. "You are going to pay for this, bitch!" he said as he run.

Bald expected Mustang as to start running away; she was a pathetic woman after all. Instead, Mustang stood her ground. Calmly Mustang raised her gloved hand clicked her fingers. A transmutation circle on the while glove activated and Bald gulped as flames roared forth from the circle and enveloped him. The flames grew and grew, until they erupted into a small but powerful explosion, and Bald yelled in pain. Everyone expect Mustang and Hawkeye had to shield their eyes until the blaze faded.

"Wow…" said Edwina, once the last of the flames had gone out.

There sit Bald, his top complete burned to cinders, and his skin getting gradually blacker as it reached his head, where along with his shoulders, were literally smoking.

"I tried to go easy on you," Mustang told Bald. "I did not mean to damage your body quite as much as it appears."

The woman took a few steps forward and said solemnly, "My name is Roya Mustang. My rank is Lieutenant Colonel. And I am the Flame Alchemist. Do not forget that."

"That woman is Lieutenant Colonel Mustang?" said Edwina, then started to run up to the woman.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa called, but the older girl ignored her.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" Edwina said as she came to a halt in front of Mustang. "You ordered us to go on that train even though you know what would happen, didn't you?"

"We don't know _everything, _Edwina Elric," Mustang replied. "Oh. I almost forgot, I have some good news for you,"

"Yes?" said Edwina.

"General Hakuro is proud of your accomplishments…and he gave special permission for you and your younger sister to take the State Alchemist Exam."

"Special permission?" said Edwina, confused. "But you _told_ us to take it, that why we–"

"There is no way children can take such an important Military test. You should be glad I put you on that train."

_I can't believe this…! _The young alchemist though angrily. Seeming to read the young girl's mind, Mustang walked up to her, placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's you choice whether you want to take the exam or not."

Mustang left, Hawkeye and Havoc following in her wake.

"Of course I'll take the exam! Just you wait and see!" Edwina shouted after the Military officer. She did not reply.

Alphonsa walked up to her sister.

"Look's like we played right into her hands," the younger Elric said. "But I guess it can't be helped. We still lack power."

Edwina sighed.

Suddenly a child shouted, "There she is, over there!" The two girls turned to see Marin standing next to her mother, waving to them.

"Marin-chan!" Alphonsa said happily and waved back.

"Thank you for saving us! Thank you!" Marin continued.

Edwina smiled and joined in with waving goodbye.

Everything was good once again.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed this chapter dear readers! Leave a review if you want, and as always:**

**Thank you! ^_^**


	7. The Alchemy Exam

**Chapter 6**

_**The Alchemy Exam**_

Central Military Command. The entity at the very top of Amestris' military dictatorship government. Edwina and Alphonsa sat in Roya Mustang's office, while the Lieutenant Colonel herself was sitting causally in her chair.

"So, have you decided to take the exam?" Mustang asked the young alchemist.

"As I said before, of course," Edwina answered.

Roya turned her chair to face her desk and said, "Very well." She then opened and a drawer and after searching though for a few minutes produced a file and a clipboard to put it on. Edwina looked at the file. On the front were the words:

**SHOU TUCKER**

**Sewing Life Alchemist**

"You two need to study in the most appropriate environment possible," Mustang said as Edwina picked up the file and looked though it. "Shou Tucker is an expect in bio-alchemy. Hence, he got the name 'Sewing Life Alchemist'."

Edwina was shocked as she remembered what bio-alchemy was.

_That was how Nee-san and I ended up staying at the Tucker residence while we were preparing to take the exam…_

* * *

"Two years ago Shou Tucker succeeded in creating a chimera that was capable of human speech, thus he received the title of State Alchemist," Roya explained the Elrics sisters as they sat in the back of the car that was taking them to the Tucker residence.

"A chimera?" Edwina said, confused. She had never had of such a creature.

"A chimera is an animal synthesized by combining two animals with different genetics. The chimera that Tucker transmutated understood what its creator said and eventually learned to speak the human language," Mustang explained.

"Amazing…" said Edwina, in awe.

"Yeah…" agreed Alphonsa.

After a short while of travelling, the car reached the Tucker household. Once all three of them had gotten out, Mustang tuned to the two girls and said, "Tucker has a four-year-old daughter who lives with him,"

"Doesn't he have a wife?" asked Alphonsa.

The military officer ignored that question and said, "Follow me,"

The girls followed, and it was then that they noticed that house the Tuckers lived in was not a small family home - but a huge mansion. It was a rather handsome mansion with white walls and red roofs and a courtyard.

"Its remarkable isn't it, Nee-san?" the younger Elric remarked as they both stopped to marvel at the house.

"It sure is," agreed Edwina.

The sound of a doorbell ringing pulled the sisters from their thoughts.

"What are you two doing? Come along now," said Mustang.

"Oh, yes, sorry," Edwina and she and Alphonsa quickly made their way to the door. As they ran past a bush, it rustled and out from it leaped a large white _thing._

Edwina screamed as the white thing collided with her and pinned her to the ground. Alphonsa saw that the thing was a not some sort of monster, but instead a large Great Pyrenees dog.

"Are you ok, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked her sister.

The armour girl looked up as the door to the mansion opened and a little girl and a man looked out. The girl had very long brown hair pulled back in two low, long plaits and blue eyes bright with childhood. The man had brown hair and blue eyes, but he also wore round spectacles.

"Bad boy, Alexander," the little girl said, upon seeing her dog.

"_Woof_," the dog responded, unable to understand the noises his mistress was making, but understanding her tone.

"Sorry about that," the man with glasses said to the blonde girl. "My name is Shou Tucker and this is my daughter, Nina. Do come inside."

After Edwina had managed to pull herself out from under Alexander, she went inside the house along with Alphonsa and Mustang. They all looked around the house and saw that dusk was thick on several surfaces.

"I'm sorry about the mess," Tucker said, as he picked up some of the books littered on the floor. "We have no women in our house to clean thing up."

Nina, naturally inquisitive due her young age, made a little noise of curiosity, grabbed Alphonsa's hand and said, "Your clothes are weird, aren't they heavy?"

The armour girl laughed and answered, "I am really strong, so it's ok."

The youngster gasped in in awe. "Wow!"

Alphonsa noticed that Tucker was staring at her, and felt unnerved. Fortunately, Mustang spoke to the man. "There will be time to discuss your guesses' later. But, for now, take good care of them."

Tucker nodded then turned to his young daughter and said, "Nina, why don't you go outside and play?"

"But, why daddy? I am having fun right here," replied Nina, and continued to hold onto Alphonsa.

"But what about poor Alexander? He will be lonely without his best friend," Tucker told her in a gentle voice.

Nina gasped. "Oh, I forgot about him! Oh, I hope he isn't mad. I'll go play with him right away. Bye-bye daddy and bye-bye everyone."

Off the child went, her plaits waving as she ran.

"So, your goal is to become State Alchemists, my dears?" Tucker said, once his daughter was out of earshot.

The Elric girls nodded.

"My, alchemists are getting younger and younger," Tucker commented. "If there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

The two girls nodded again, then Edwina asked, "Can I see that chimera you transmuted?"

"Me too," Alphonsa added.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," answered Tucker.

"Why not?"

"Well…it died a shortly after I created it."

"Oh…"

Tucker then smiled at the two girls and changed the subject. "Anyway, the first thing you must do is pass the exam. It will take a lot of hard work."

"I understand," Edwina said.

"I will be leaving now, Mr Tucker," Roya said. "Take good care of these two."

"Ok then. You be safe, Lieutenant Colonel," Tucker replied.

With a final smile, Mustang left.

"Come with me, I have something to show you," Tucker turned to Edwina and Alphonsa and said, then started to walk. The Elrics followed. After going along a hall, they came to a door.

Tucker a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door and opening it, and upon seeing what was inside, Edwina and Alphonsa gave dual gasps of "Wow…"

"This is the library. I hope you find it useful," Tucker explained.

"This is amazing, Nee-san," Alphonsa said as she looked around. "There are so many books I have never seen before."

Edwina ran into the library and began looking at the shelves.

"These books make up only a fraction of those in Central Library, if you pass the exam you will access to many times more books than what is in here," Tucker said as Edwina choose a book and began to read.

"Really? That many?" said Alphonsa. "We need to study hard, Nee-san."

The older girl did not reply, her eyes moving form side to side as she read.

"Nee-san can become so engrossed reading she loses sense of what is happening around her," the younger Elric explained to a confused Shou Tucker.

Later that evening Tucker made dinner, along with Nina's help with things such as stirring and mixing. Once himself, his daughter, and his guests were settled into the meal, Tucker asked, "How did your first day of studying go, Edwina-chan?"

"Yes, it was good. I learned so many things. Though, even though that is a good thing, it worries me." Edwina replied.

"Even an adult who has received the best education would find the exam difficult," Tucker said, in an attempt to reassure the young girl. "You still young, so you don't have to take it this year. Give yourself some time."

"No," the young alchemist said.

"What?" said Tucker.

"I will do all I can, even if change of passing is small, I will do it."

Nina suddenly let out a gasp, pointed at Alphonsa's plate and said, "Bigger Sister isn't eating dinner!" She picked up one of her bread rolls and held it out to the other girl. "Daddy says you won't grow if you don't eat, so eat up."

"Um…" said Alphonsa, thinking. A child so young would not understand if Alphonsa told her secret so she played along. "Thank you," she said taking the roll.

Edwina did not say anything, as she was deep in thought.

"This looks good," the armour girl said.

"Chew it well," Nina instructed.

Alphonsa lifted her helmet slightly and putting the roll inside her body, hoping Nina would not notice. "It's tastes really good."

"Have another," the youngster held out another roll.

* * *

Edwina lay in her bed, staring up the ceiling. Alphonsa lay in the on the other side of the room, her armour leg sticking out of the bottom.

Edwina realised that, since she had became her journey, she had began to miss things. She missed the friendly chats she would have with Winter at the lake while Alphonsa tried to do the difficult feet of catching a fish with her hands. She missed aunt Pinako's meals, along with many other things.

But, most of all, she missed listening to her little sister's sleeping breaths that would lull her to sleep at night. Now the only noises Edwina would here at night were the creaks and groans of Alphonsa's empty metal shell.

"Are you alright, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

Edwina jumped slightly at the sudden question. After a few seconds the blonde girl replied, "Yeah, I can't sleep because of all the things I learned today."

"I see," Alphonsa said. "Hey, Nee-san?"

"Yes?"

"I believe you can pass the exam. We have been working hard for a while. I think you really need to take a break,"

"I don't know…"

"Pleeeeaaase?"

The older girl sighed. "Ok, then, you win. I'll take a break."

"Yay!"

_We really wanted to become to become State Alchemists._

The two sisters poured intentionally over the mountain of books in front of them, Nina watching curiously behind them, Alexander by her side. Alexander was definition of a loyal dog, and he followed his little mistress everywhere, really to protect her from harm.

_By becoming State Alchemists, we thought we could see the way._

"Here you go, Little Big Sister, Bigger Sister," Nina said holding up the tray that had fresh, homemade, fruit juice in china cups. She wondered why her 'sisters' were drawing strange circles, but decided to press on. "Daddy made this for all of us."

Edwina was annoyed at the 'little' part of Nina's name for her, but found she could not be angry with her. She smiled at the little tyke as she took her cup of juice.

_Nothing could deter us. We were going to became State Alchemists. No matter how hard it was, we would do it._

Edwina had fallen asleep, slumped over the book she had been reading by candlelight. In her left hand was a pen, and under her relaxed hand an incomplete Transmutation Circle. Alphonsa sighed as she came upon the site.

"Aw, Little Big Sister looks so cute," Nina whispered from next to the armour girl.

Alexander barked.

"Shhhhh," Nina and Alphonsa shushed.

Quietly, Alphonsa gently picked up her older sister and placed her in her bed. Edwina snuggled up, causing Nina to go "Awww" again.

* * *

Sunlight steamed though a library window as Edwina did her daily studying. Alphonsa and Nina were elsewhere. It had been a few months since the Elric sisters had moved in with the Tuckers, and the day of the State Alchemist Exam was drawing ever closer.

The young alchemist looked as she heard the _dong _of a clock bell.

"Is that the time already?" She asked herself. She stood and put the book back.

"Al, where are you?" Edwina called as she walked out of the Library.

The girl heard a familiar barking. "Maybe she's outside," she said.

Edwina walked to the door and opening it.

"Al?"

She was temporally blinded by the sunshine, before she saw the site before her. She gasped. Alphonsa, Nina, wearing a purple coat and brown boots, and Alexander were sitting the ground - which was covered in snow. Over her pink shirt and denim dress, Nina was wearing a purple coat and was wearing brown boots on her feet.

"Little Big Sister! Come play!" Nina called.

Edwina thought for a few moments then turned her back to the three of them.

"Nee-san?" said Alphonsa. She really wanted her sister to join in.

Edwina suddenly turned around, a smirk on her face. Quick as a flash she made several snowballs and throe them at Nina and Alphonsa. The two girls laughed and moved out of the way. Edwina went to try for another strike but was pelted with snowballs by Alphonsa. Edwina simply laughed.

For almost an hour, the three girls continued to play, before they collapsed onto the ground from laughter and exhaustion.

"I hope you can stay here after the exam is over, Little Big Sister, Bigger Sister," the little girl said. The Elrics sat up in shock, and Edwina's eyes widened.

After thinking for a few moments, Edwina reached in her pocket and found a pencil. Turned it around Edwina used to the rubber end to start drawing on the snow. Alphonsa and Nina leaned in to see what she was doing.

"What are you drawing?" asked the little brunette.

"It's a Transmutation Circle," answered Edwina. "It grants wishes."

"Huh?" said Nina.

"Watch," the older girl, ad placed her hands on the Transmutation Circle.

Nina gasped and her eyes widened in wonder as the symbol began to glow and flowers began to grow from inside it.

"Magic flowers! You're amazing, Little Big Sister! Amazing!" the little girl said as she placed the crown of flowers on her small head.

"Working hard, are we?"

The three girls looked up.

"Major Hughes?"

"Hey there." Hughes said, with a wave and a smile. "I'm here to pick you up. It's your birthday today, is not Edwina-chan?"

"Oh yeah," said Alphonsa.

"How…do you know that?" Edwina asked.

"I'm in the investigation department in the military. Now, lets go to my house, all three of you, my wife is waiting for you," Hughes said.

The children climbed into the car that was waiting out on the road and Hughes drove them all to his house, which was in a comfortable-looking part of Central. As the came up to the house, they saw a woman with chin-length, light brown hair and green eyes standing at the door.

"Welcome to my home, girls," the woman said as the three girls and her husband got out of the car.

"This is my wife, Gracia," Hughes introduced the woman, once they had all gone inside the house, but the three girls were already interested in her.

"Your tummy is so big," said Nina.

"You're pregnant?" asked Alphonsa.

"Very soon to be born. It's moving around like its looking for a way out," Gracia said.

"Wow," said Edwina.

"Would you like to feel it?" Gracia asked the girls.

"What?" said both Elrics, surprised that the woman would ask such a question.

"I want to feel!" said Nina and placed her hands on Gracia's stomach. "It kicked!" she said.

The older girls decided it would not be so bad to touch the woman stomach and tentatively placed their hands on her stomach. For a quiet moment, the three girls stood there listening and feeling. Edwina wondered if she had been like that in her mother's stomach.

Even though she was heavily pregnant, after everyone was settled, Gracia waddled off to prepare food, with her husband helping her.

Soon, the dinning room table was laden with sausage rolls, jelly, sandwiches and other tasty treats. Alphonsa could only watch longingly as her sister, Nina, Hughes and Gracia tucked in. However, it was not completely bad that the younger Elric could not eat, as she enjoyed the chatter and laugher.

After a while, Gracia got up.

"I am just going to the kitchen," the woman said.

"No, Gracia, you have done enough, I'll go," said Hughes, guiding his wife back to her chair. He then went into the kitchen and came out a few moments later. Two of the children's eyes widened, and one gave the impression of widening, at what he was holding. It was a huge chocolate cake with three layers, a filling of strawberry jam and cream and strawberry icing. It was the most amazing confection the three children had ever seen. These were the times when Alphonsa _really_ wished she had her body.

As the cake was placed on the table, everyone began to sing 'Happy Birthday'. As Edwina blew out the twelve candles, everyone applauded. Everything was lovely until -

Gracia went worryingly pale and fell out of her seat.

"Gracia!" Hughes cried and crouched next to her.

"Honey…the baby…" Gracia said, though a grimace.

"What about it?" asked Hughes, his worry growing.

"It has decided…it wants to join the party,"

Everyone's eyes widened.

"W-what? But the birth date is not for a while yet!" said Hughes.

"But it really was to come out…"

"The hospital…we need to get you to a doctor!" Hughes said.

"B-but…there a blizzard outside!" Alphonsa squeaked, pointing to the window. Indeed, there was a massive snow strong howling around the house.

"Then, I'll go get a doctor!" said Hughes and helped Gracia over to lie down on the couch.

"I'll be back as soon as possible!" said the Major, rushing out of the door.

"Edwina-chan…please g-get me some warm water…" Gracia said.

"Okay…" said Edwina, and did as she was told. Despite being female, of the age to know, and performers of Human Transmutation, the Elric sisters were not very knowledgeable on the subject of childbirth, and Nina was far too young to know.

After collecting the water in a large bowl, the blonde alchemist walked over to the couch.

"What should I do with this, Gracia-san?" the girl asked.

"Put it on the floor," Gracia instructed.

"Anything else?"

"Yes. We will need a lot of towels."

"Ok," said Alphonsa, and set off with Nina to find some. Gracia gave a cry of pain.

"My c-contractions have started," the woman gasped.

After finding the towels, Nina also found a flannel, dipped in the water and applied it to Gracia's head.

"Major Hughes sure is taking a while," said Edwina, concern in her voice. "I really hope he hasn't gotten lost…"

Gracia screamed. "I can't bare this! I feel like I'm going to die!" she cried.

Pandemonium ensued.

"Nee-san, do something!" Alphonsa shrieked.

"I don't know what to do!" Edwina replied.

Gracia gave another cry of pain, then went still.

Nina screamed in terror. "Is she dead?"

"No, she just passed out!" Edwina cried.

"B-but in alchemy you need to have something equal to give for you what you obtain!" Alphonsa squeaked.

"I know! But this isn't alchemy!" Edwina shouted back.

Gracia gave a loud wince of pain, her teeth gritted.

"She's awake!" Alphonsa said. "Are you alright, Gracia-san?"

_Damn…there is nothing I can do… _Edwina thought, feeling utterly useless, her fists clenched in anger.

"Little Big Sister, the water's gone cold," Nina cried, her hand in the bowl and the flannel in her other.

"Right," the young alchemist said, then reached down and placed her hands on the edges of the bowl to pick it up. The bowl glowed in the blue lightening of alchemy and suddenly, steam was rolling from the water once again.

"Huh?" Edwina gasped.

"What did you do, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

"Nothing! I just touched the bowl and…"

"It wasn't nothing, you performed alchemy…but there's no Transmutation Circle?" Alphonsa asked, confused.

"So why did the water boil?"

"I don't know, maybe it was magic or something!"

"Magic doesn't exist!"

Gracia inadvertently interrupted with another scream. "The baby's coming!"

The three girls yelled again. "What do we do?" they cried. "Where's a doctor when you need one?"

It was evening. The wails of a baby girl sounded from the living room of the Hughes household.

"She's so beautiful, Gracia," Hughes said, tears in his eyes. Next to him, the doctor smiled.

"It's all thanks to you three," Gracia said, smiling at Edwina, Alphonsa and Nina. "Thank you so much."

"But we didn't do anything," Edwina said.

The new mother shook her head. "No…you stayed by my side."

"Mrs Hughes, what will you being calling your daughter?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, Gracia, you name her," said Hughes.

"Well…" said Gracia, thinking deeply. "I always thought…Elicia was a lovely name,"

"Oh yes, Elicia, such a wonderful name," the new father said.

"What do you think, girls?" Gracia asked the children.

"Yes, Elicia is such a pretty name," Alphonsa said, and the other two girls Nina nodded in agreement.

"What's more, now we will have two birthdays to celebrate on this day," Gracia said, a smile on her face.

Later that night, after telling Tucker about the day's events, the Elric sisters and Nina went to bed.

"Al though we are alchemists, we could do anything earlier, Al," the older Elric said out of the blue.

"Yeah," the younger Elric said.

"Still, mothers are amazing people," Edwina said. "They can create life, something alchemists are currently incapable of doing…and properly will never do."

"Nee-san?"

"Yeah?" The older girl sat up.

"When I was born, was I soft-skinned and crying?"

"Of course you were."

"That's good."

_After the event with Gracia-san, Nee-san and I concentrated harder than ever on our training._

Nina sat outside the library, her loyal Great Pyrenees sidekick asleep at her side, secretly listening as her 'sisters'studied.

_We studied hard, because we wanted to return to the bodies we were born with._

It was evening. Alphonsa looked up form the book-covered desk. "I just remembered. You know when you boiled that bowl of water without a Transmutation Circle, Nee-san? I thought it was amazing."

"Well I think it was just a one off thing, we were in a in a panic after all…" the older alchemist said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I need to work hard," the younger girl replied.

"Here's a good question," Edwina said, holding up a piece of paper.

"Okay."

_The exam was drawing so very near._

The was a pleasant fire in the fireplace, casting the room in a warm glow. Nina an Alexander had being sitting by it, warming their toes and paws, and had fallen asleep.

"The exam consists of a written portion, then an interview, and finally, practical skills," Tucker explained. "I don't know the exact name of candidates, but only one or two people pass each year."

"Only one or two?" Edwina said, shocked.

"I'm afraid so,"

"Um, about the interview, what happens?" Alphonsa asked nervously.

"Well, in my case, I was just questioned. Although sometimes they give health inspections," Tucker answered.

"Oh…"

_If they give health inspections, then Al's secret might–_

"As for the practical skills," Tucker continued, cutting off the blonde girl's thoughts. "Some people bring in a report on an experiment, which is what I did, while others transmute something on the spot. What will you two do?"

The two sisters looked at each other. "We'll have to think about that, please excuse us."

The two pf them, when up to upstairs to their room and sat down on their beds.

"What should we do for the practical skills, Al?" Edwina asked.

"Before we get to that, what if I am given a health inspection? They'll find out my armour is empty," Alphonsa said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Lieutenant Colonel Mustang will think of something."

"I really hope so…"

* * *

The day of the exam had finally arrived and the Elric sisters were still full of worry and uneasiness.

The Führer of Amestris himself, King Bradley, was the person who was to judge who was worthy of State Alchemist status. The Elrics, along with the few other candidates, sat before their great leader, while a few other members of the Military, including Lieutenant Colonel Mustang and General Hakuro, had come to watch and check for any cheating.

The Führer banged a clanger and said solemnly, "The first portion of the State Alchemist Exam with start now."

Outside the building Nina and Alexander waited, hoping that the little girl's 'sisters' would do well.

After what seem a long time, the brunette spotted her 'sisters' walking out of the large white building and rushed over to greet them, her dog at her side.

"How did you do, Little Big Sister, Bigger Sister?" the child as she came to a stop in front of the older girls.

"I didn't even make it to the last question…" Edwina said tiredly.

"I did all of it," Alphonsa said. "But I am so worried about the interview…"

Meanwhile, as the three girls conversed, Roya Mustang sat in her office, Rizo Hawkeye at her side, examining the Elric sisters' exam papers.

"I didn't expect the younger sister to pass this as well," Mustang informed her subordinate.

"Is that a problem?" Hawkeye asked.

"I'll be back in a while, stay here, Second Lieutenant," Roya said after a few minutes, raising from her chair.

"Yes, Ma'am," Rizo replied, saluting his superior officer.

The Lieutenant Colonel made her way outside the room, and saw the Elric sisters sitting on the grass, while the other members of their party frolicked, happy and carefree. Roya walked up to them and said, "Would the both of you come with me, please?"

The two children glanced at each other, before getting up and following the military officer to a shaded corner of the building, away from potential eavesdroppers. There, Mustang told the girls her idea.

"W-what? I can't agree to that! Why should I drop out? Why?" Alphonsa cried after Roya had finished explaining. Thee raven-haired woman's words has upset her.

"If you want to keep your past a secret, then there is no other alternative," Roya replied.

"B-but I have to be as strong as Nee-san…!"

"Just do it, Al," Edwina said.

"What?"

"Remember what Aunty Pinako said, that State Alchemists are called to duty if a war breaks out? And that they would have to use alchemy to kill people, even though it was meant to used for the good of the people," Edwina asked the younger girl. "If you pass, and became a dog of the Military. Are you prepared to do all of that?"

"But…!" Alphonsa began but could not think of anything else to say.

"Only I should have to injure the shame that comes with being a state alchemist. I will become one on my own…and fulfil your wish," Edwina stated, with an air of finality.

"Nee-san…" Alphonsa could say nothing more.

The two girls waited to until a woman came out and began calling names in alphabetical order. After just two, the woman called the now only female name on the list, "Elric, Edwina."

Edwina stood up and set off toward the room the woman indicated, Alphonsa and Nina watched her go, with worry in their minds. Even Alexander seemed to notice something was going on.

Edwina took a deep breath to steady herself before she entered the room.

The occupants of the dark, unlit room were the same as those in the written part of the exam: Führer King Bradley, Mustang, and two high-ranking Generals.

The young alchemist was startled slightly went a bright spotlight illuminated a golden tripod in the middle of the room.

Edwina saw that the tripod was rather strange, as it appeared to be folded, but was still standing up.

"Please sit down," the Führer ordered. "If you are a true alchemist, the chair will not reject you."

The girl hesitated.

"Alchemist, have no fear. An alchemist must never have fear," Führer Bradley stated.

The girl sat down. Nothing happened.

The Führer looked the girl over with his single eye that was not hidden by an eye-patch.

"First, tell me your reason for wanting to become a State Alchemist," Bradley instructed the girl.

Edwina has to think about how to respond to that question. "It's because…"

"it's because?" Bradley prompted.

"It's because I promised…" Edwina thought of Alphonsa.

"Go on."

"It's because I promised my only family member that I would became a State Alchemist," Edwina eventually finished.

After that first difficult question, Edwina managed to make her way though the rest of the interview. Lucky for her, the exam was not done within the one day, as the practical part of the exam was to be on the day after.

As the two sisters once again lay in their beds in Shou Tucker's house, Edwina asked, "Al, do you think we made the right choice?"

"I am not sure. But there is one thing I am certain of."

"What's that?"

"I don't want to stay a suit of armour forever. I want to touch you again Nee-san. I want to feel your warmth of your body. We are close right now, but I can't feel that warmth and I've forgotten what it is like…"

Edwina rolled over so that Alphonsa could not see the tears in her eyes. "Al, I swear I will get your body back…" the blonde whispered.

_And so, the day of the final part of the exam, the practical skills, arrived._

"I'll be going now," Edwina told Alphonsa and Nina after has taken a moment to steady herself. For good luck, Nina was wearing the flower crown Edwina had made for her.

"Little Big Sister, wait!" Nina said, tugging the older girl's coat.

Edwina turning back around.

Nina looked nervous and was holding something behind her back.

"Don't be shy, Nina," Alphonsa said gently.

"_Woof woof_," Alexander encouraged.

Nina walked up to the blonde girl and held out a roll of paper. "This is for you, Little Big Sister,"

The female alchemist took the paper and unrolled it. It was a picture of herself, Nina, Alphonsa and Alexander, along with a little Transmutation Circle. Edwina did not know what to say. Now she knew how her mother felt whenever she or Alphonsa had presented her with a drawing.

"It's one of those circle's that helps you wish," the little girl laughed cutely.

"Thanks, Nina," Edwina said, and patted the girl on the head.

The blonde girl set off, making her way to the courtyard at the back of Central Headquarters, where the other candidates where lined up and waiting, along with the usual military watchers.

"You may use any of the materials you see here," the Führer informed the candidates. "Use and transmute then as you wish." Those materials included a mountain of rock and earth and a mountain of ice.

"Use them as you wish. Then how do we pass?" Edwina asked. The girl tuned around when she heard the sound of a transmutation. Her eyes widened when she saw the first candidate create a stone pillar so large that it leaned over. The man smirked then swayed, a tired look on his face.

"Impressive, but losing strength is a minus," General Hakuro said.

_Are they serious? _Edwina thought.

"I'll go next," said a man with long brown hair.

Everyone watched as the man alchemically cut down two trees, then threw a bucket of water over the trees. The man activated the Transmutation Circle under the tree in water, surrounding them in yellow lightening.

Meanwhile, back at the entrance, Nina was now sitting on Alphonsa's back, while Alphonsa heard her legs to make sure she did not fall off.

"Will Little Big Sister be ok?" Nina asked the older girl.

"Of course she will. I know it," Alphonsa replied.

The two of them looked as a large shadow fell over them. They saw a large paper blimp floating overhead.

"Splendid," Hakuro commented on the massive object.

_He made paper and hydrogen using the trees and water? I am going to have to think of something good… _the blonde alchemist thought.

The long-haired man smiled to himself. He thought he had the State Alchemist qualification in the bag. That was until the blimp punctured. The people outside the headquarters became worried.

"This isn't good!" Roya said, pulling on her gloves.

The punctured blimp crashed into the pillar that the first candidate had made, causing people to scream and start to panic as hydrogen sprayed everywhere, and the pillar started to slowly crumble and tip forward towards the man who created it. The man could not run away due to his exhaustion and could only whimper and cover his head.

Her mind racing to come up with a plan, Edwina run towards the pillar. At the very last moment, Edwina clapped her hands together, and without the aid of a Transmutation Circle, slammed her hand onto the ground, causing blue lightening to surge and the pillar and blimp to be surrounded with blue light. The light grown bright and bright until - with a final flash of white - unfurled the two objects. After a few seconds, everything went silent. What then fell for the sky was not rubble and rocks, as everyone has been expecting, but instead, pink flower petal gently floated down. The people gasped in both surprise and delight.

"No Transmutation Circle, eh?" Mustang said.

"A very young alchemist here, eh?" Führer Bradley said. "Very interesting…"

Edwina smiled at her accomplishment and Nina gasped with delight, raised her arms and said, "It's beautiful! Well down, Little Big Sister!"

In her mind, Alphonsa beamed.

After all her hard work. Edwina Elric had passed the exam, and was officially a State Alchemist.

By the time she had been given the all the cries of 'Congratulations!' and hand shakes, it was sunset, and the tired newly appointed State Alchemist, along with the rest of her party, all began to walk home. Suddenly the blonde girl stopped.

"Al," she said.

"Yes, Nee-san?"

"I am going to stop hesitating now. I will only look straight ahead, and only run forwards. If I have to stop, I'll deal with it."

Edwina held out her fist to her younger sister. "One day, I _will _return you to your original body."

"Yes. And when that day comes you will get your arm and leg back," said Alphonsa, completing the friendly fist bump.

The older sister of twelve and the younger sister of eleven, along with their four-year-old friend and canine companion, all continued to walk home, happiness in their hearts.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed it readers. I am so not looking foward to the next chapter, as be it manga or anime, we all know how Nina's story ends...**

**Leave a review if you want.**

**Thank you ^_^**


	8. Night of the Chimera's Cry

**Chapter 7**

_**Night of the Chimera's Cry**_

Edwina felt nervous as she walked though the office to Mustang's desk. Jean Havoc and Rizo Hawkeye were working away at their own desks. Like Rizo, Havoc had blonde hair, but his was a noticeably darker shade. He also had smoky gray eyes and was a smoker. Mustang knew it was pointless to ask, even order, Havoc to put out the cigarette that was in his mouth.

The woman looked up momentarily as the younger alchemist come to a stop in front of her, then reached into a drawer in her desk. After rummaging for a few minutes, the woman pulled a sliver pocket watch.

"Here, this is for you," Mustang said and casually tossed the watch to Edwina as if she had done it many times before, which she had not.

Unlike Roya, Edwina saw the watch for its beauty. Decorated with the dragon that adorned Amestris National Flag inside two rhombuses, it glinted in the sunlight.

"Couldn't you have given this to me in a more…dramatic way?" the blonde girl asked.

"You are now a 'Dog of the Military'. Congratulations," Roya replied in a most non-dramatic fashion. "Second Lieutenant Havoc, please escort her home."

"Yes, Ma'am," Havoc said, with a salute.

Back at his residence, Tucker watched Nina, Alexander and Alphonsa play.

"Nina…" he said, in an almost melancholy tone.

Back on the road, Edwina was frowning as she stared grumpily out of the car window.

"Come on, Boss, don't make that face," Havoc said. "The Lieutenant Colonel is investigating a tricky case."

"Case?" Edwina said, and sat upright.

"Yeah. There is a serial killer who only seems to attack woman and girls, so you'd best be careful. I said the same to the Lieutenant Colonel."

"Aren't the police supposed to do that?"

"Letting a murderer away from right under our nose would five the military a bad reputation."

"I bet she's just doing it to get prompted."

Havoc suddenly slammed on the brakes, causing the car to jerk to a stop, and causing Edwina had grab into the seat in front of her to stop herself from falling. Havoc turned around in his seat.

"Well, the Lieutenant Colonel will try anything to get a promotion, however…we would not follow her if that was the only thing she did," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" a confused Edwina asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," the Second Lieutenant replied, then started up the car again. There was no more conversation until Havoc and Edwina arrived at the Tucker home. Edwina eagerly jumped out of the vehicle, along with Havoc.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa said happily, upon seeing her sister.

"Little Big Sister!" Nina said, smiling her cute little way.

The older girl smiled back and pulled out her new watch, holding it up for the younger girls to see.

"Tada!" the young alchemist said proudly.

"Wow, it looks so pretty," Nina said.

"However, is that all, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

Before Edwina could answer Alexander run up to her, barking, his attention caught by the shininess of the watch. The dog snatched the watch out of the Edwina's hand using his teeth, run around her, then back across the courtyard.

"Hey!" the young alchemist shouted and chased after the animal. "Give that back, you stupid dog! It doesn't say 'Alexander' on it!"

Alphonsa and Nina simply turned around as the blonde run past them.

"Guess she's still Nee-san even if she is a State Alchemist," the armour girl laughed.

"Give that back or I swear I'll turn you into a figurine of you former self, dog!" Edwina shrieked, leaping at Alexander and missing.

The Second Lieutenant also laughed, but it was short lived and he had to put out his just-lit cigarette and give a solute as Tucker come outside, smiling at the scene that lay before him.

"She's the talk of the day, is your guest, Mr Tucker," Havoc said as the other man approached him. "No-one expected a 12-year-old to pass the exam."

"Well, geniuses do exist," Tucker replied then clapping his hand together, said, "Let's celebrate Edwina-chan's success with a feast tonight."

"Yeah!" Nina cheered.

"Really?" said Edwina, finally retrieving her watch from Alexander's mouth.

"Of course!" Tucker said with a smile then turned to Havoc and asked. "Would you care to join us?"

"I'd love to Mr Tucker, but I have work to do," Havoc replied.

"That is unfortunate."

"Oh, Mr Tucker, I have a message from the Lieutenant Colonel."

"Yes,"

"It's almost time for Assignment Day. She is looking forward to it."

The alchemist nodded.

Later that evening during the celebration feast, Tucker explained about the previously mentioned assignment.

"So, there are assignments for State Alchemists?" Edwina said.

"Yes," Tucker answered. "If I don't make a report on my findings annually and get assessed, I will lose my State Alchemist license."

"That sounds like a bit of a problem," Alphonsa said. "I hope you do well."

Tucker laughed nervously. "Thank you. My assessment last year did not go well very, so will try harder this year."

"Just do your best, Daddy!" Nina almost shouted encouragingly, waving her cutlery.

"Are you to create another chimera that can speak and talk human words?" Alphonsa asked.

Tucker drew in a sharp breath. "Well…"

"Can you show it to us when you are finished, please?" Edwina asked with a smile.

The man stayed silent for a few moments. "Ok then, I promise. As soon as it's complete, I'll show it to you," he said after an awkward silence had begun to develop. Tucker turned to his daughter smiled at her, and she laughed and said, "Do well Daddy!"

The older girls also gave a small chuckle.

After dinner, just as they did every night, the Elrics sisters returned to their room. Alphonsa sat on her bed and started to read a book while Edwina sat down at the desk, got out a piece of paper and started writing.

After a while, the door opened and Nina came in. For once Alexander was not accompanying as Tucker was giving him a bath. Alphonsa greeted the child but the older girl just ignored her and continued writing. Nina, curious as to what was keeping her oldest 'sister' so busy, padded over to investigate.

"Is that a letter?" the little girl asked upon seeing the sheets of paper. Edwina sat up suddenly.

"Who are you writing to?" Nina further enquired.

The blonde girl covered the letter with her arms and replied "None of your bossiness!"

"You're writing to Winter, aren't you, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked.

The older girl whirled around on her seat. "I was only giving him an update on what we are doing and asking how he is. You know, things like 'I passed the exam', and 'how are you and aunt Pinako?', 'How's the weather?' Stuff like that!"

"Is Winter your boyfriend, Little Big Sister?" Nina asked.

"N-no, of course not!"

"Well, actually…" Alphonsa began but was cut off by her sister.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the older alchemist shrieked. _How can she be so casual about having a boyfriend? _Edwina thought franticly.

"I am going to write a letter too. It's for my mummy," Nina said as she lay down on the floor and placed the paper, the pencil and coloured pencils she had in front of her.

"Hey, Nina-chan, where is your mother?" Alphonsa asked.

"She moved out. She said Daddy was a good-for-nothing, and went to live at her old home," the youngster replied.

_What? How awful for someone so young, _Edwina thought. Knowing full well what it was like to lose a mother, she and her little sister could sympathize.

That little brunette's expressing become a little sad as she said, "I hope mummy replies this time. No matter many letters I send she never replies."

Alphonsa stood up, crouched next to the little girl and stroked her hair in a comforting way. Nina smiled.

Half an hour or so later, just as Nina was finishing the picture of herself, her mother, her father and Alexander, that to accompany her letter, Tucker knocked politely on the door and came in.

"There you are Nina. Its bedtime," the glasses-wearing man told his daughter.

"Awww," Nina said sadly, as Tucker picked her up, then held up her picture and letter and said, "Look, Daddy, I made a letter for Mummy."

The man looked at it. "It's…wonderful, Nina."

The youngster smiled, while the other girls just looked at Tucker.

"My wife hated being poor, so she left," Tucker answered the alchemist girls' unspoken question. "It was before I became a State Alchemist, and got this house. If I lose my license I'll go back to the way I was before I got it. I must pass the upcoming assignment to keep this lifestyle. I don't want Nina to grow up in poverty."

"Daddy, stop worrying. You just need to study a lot," Nina told her father.

* * *

The next morning dawned blue and bright. Edwina had been rudely awakened by a barking Alexander.

"You want to go for a walk, right," Edwina said then yawned. "But why so early?"

"I could take him for a walk so you can get some more sleep, Nee-san," said Alphonsa.

"Thanks, Al, but I'm awake now, so I may as well do it," the blonde said as she changed out of her pyjamas and into her clothes.

After brushing and fixing her hair and brushing down her clothes, Edwina fixed the leash to Alexander's collar and he led her out of out room and down the hall.

As she walked along, one of the few open rooms caught the girl's attention. After checking that no one was around, she walked into the room, Alexander following.

There seemed nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. Then Edwina saw the pieces of paper that where shrivelled with incomplete combustion.

Intrigued, the alchemist girl picked up and opened a piece of paper - and her stomach plummeted. It was not just any old paper. It was Nina's hand-made letter.

A suspicion began to develop inside the young girl's head and she headed to the Central First Branch Library for more information.

"Excuse me, but I am looking for information on the chimera State Alchemist Shou Tucker created two years ago," Edwina informed the desk librarian.

"Hmm, let's see…" the librarian turned and called, "Hey, Scieszka, do you anything about this?"

"Shou Tucker-san's reports are classified," the bespectacled mousy young woman replied.

"Can't you please look in to it?" Edwina asked, then reached into her pocket and pulled out her sliver pocket watch, "I am a State Alchemist."

"That's not what I meant. You need to have permission from Brigadier General Basque Grand in order to read it."

"Basque Grand?"

"Oh, you do not know the Iron-Blood Alchemist?" the desk librarian asked. "He was the first person to propose the idea of using alchemy for Military purposes. Since you need his permission, Tucker's research must be top secret."

Completely dispirited, Edwina walked out of the Library and began started the walk about to Tucker's house.

_I need that information on Tucker, but if I my suspicions are confirmed… _the alchemist girl's stomach turned at the thought of what Tucker could have done.

"Hey, you can't go in there! Only State Alchemists are allowed. You need permission from the Military if you are not one!" a voice called and Edwina looked around to see a tall man run past her. The man has a muscular build and a dark complexion. Even though his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, the girl could see a cross-shaped scar on his face. His clothes had seen better days and were ragged in some places.

"I have to go in! I was told this was the only place I could get information I needed," the man shouted back at the guard was who pursuing him.

Edwina reached out with her automail arm and grabbed the man's right arm as he passed her.

"Hey, mister, you need to take the exam like the rest of us," she informed him.

"Well I don't care!" the man said and wrenched his arm out of the girl's grasp - and tearing his sleeve clean off. Underneath the sleeve was a bizarre tattoo covering the length of the man's arm. It could have been a Transmutation Circle, but Edwina had never seen one so elaborate, and it made the hairs on the back of neck stand up. There was something alien and dangerous about the tattoo and the blonde girl backed away instinctively as man grabbed his sleeve from her grasp and run off, the guard following.

After a while, the man was sure he has lost the soldier and stopped to catch his breath. He looked at the markings that adorned his arm and asked himself, "Onii-chan, why did you brand me with such a thing? This alchemy…it's what we despise!"

Meanwhile, a still on-edge Edwina had been making her way to Tucker's house only to make the decision to go Hughes's house instead.

Once she arrived at the house, Hughes greeted her with Elicia in his arms. "Elicia-chan, this is Edwina-chan," Hughes told the child to young to understand her words in a sweet high voice. "She helped bring you into the world."

"Honey, please listen to what Edwina-chan is saying," Gracia told her husband, gently taking the baby from him and walked into the next room. Hughes looked a little saddened by the loss, but turned back to his guest.

"So, what's this about Tucker's chimera?" Hughes asked.

"Well, since you are a member of the Investigation Department, I thought you might know something," the young alchemist said.

"Why don't you just ask Tucker in person."

"Well, he looked busy with the Assignment Say coming up and all…" Edwina said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I don't know much more than you do. Tucker was the very first person in the world to create a chimera able and understand human words.

"Really?"

"Though people did say it only said one thing: 'I want to die'."

Edwina held back a gasp.

"After a while the creature refused food and died of it's own accord." Hughes said.

"But why would Tucker-san create such a thing?" Edwina as thoughts went though her head.

"Perhaps someone in the Military thought it could be of use," the major suggested.

"Then, what about Tucker-san's wife?"

"Oh, her? She died before he came to Central."

This time, the girl could not hold back her gasp. _That's not what Tucker-san told me, _she thought.

"Am I wrong?" Hughes asked, reading the girl's expression. Before he could either of them could say anything more, the telephone rang.

The man picked up the handle and said, "Hello, this is Major Hughes."

The voice on the other end spoke.

"What? The serial murderer?" the major said, then turned returned to the blonde girl. "We have to go, Edwina-chan."

Edwina and Hughes, after changing into his uniform, rushed to the location they were informed to go to.

The scene was horrific. The body of a woman, hidden under a bloodstained blanket, with a little boy next to her, crying, Hawkeye trying to comfort him and other soldiers clustered around.

"This makes the fifth…" Hughes said sadly.

"Hasn't you and the rest of the Investigation Department found any clues, Hughes?" Mustang asked.

"Don't blame this on me."

Edwina was not really paying attention to the conversation. She was listening to the small child sob.

"Mummy!" the child wailed. "Mummy!"

Rizo gently picked up the boy but he struggled, the blanket still in his hand. The blanket was pulled off the corpse. The woman was barely recognizable, so covered in blood she was, though Edwina could tell she was young, with brown hair - it reminded her of her own mother. She began to hyperventilate. The brown-haired corpse reminded her of that creature she had created that faithful night one year ago.

The girl crumpled to the ground in a heap.

"Edwina-chan? What's wrong?" Hughes said placing a hand on the girl. She did not respond. Other soldiers began to gather around the motionless girl.

"Hey, Edwina-chan, please respond! Edwina-chan!"

* * *

The young alchemist's eyes snapped open. She immediately noticed someone had removed her red coat and black jacket, along with her shoes and socks. Her hair was also untied and was spread around her head like a golden-blonde mane. She also noticed she was in the bedroom she shared with Alphonsa and that outside it was evening and the weather has become dull and cloudy.

"Oh, you're okay. I heard you saw something horrible and fainted as a result."

Edwina turned her head and saw a concerned looking Tucker sitting on a chair next to the bed, the book he had been reading on his lap.

"I'm fine now…" Edwina said, turned her head away from the man and at the window.

"You were calling out and apologising to your mother, are you sure you are ok?"

"I was?"

"I have been wondering, after seeing you and your sister's bodies, what exactly did you two do to become like this?"

_I guess I should tell, otherwise, he'll properly find out on his own, _Edwina thought then turned back to Tucker

While Tucker talked to Edwina, downstairs, in the living room, Alphonsa was watching outside as a car pulled up in front of the house. She has being sitting at the window since she had being told about what had happened to her sister. Nina had also wondered, but because she was just a child, she had gone back to playing.

Alphonsa watched as a soldier stepped out of the car, opened the back door, and out stepped a much taller, more muscular soldier with dark skin, a bald head and a black moustache. The amour girl felt intimidated.

In her bedroom, Edwina had finished telling of how she and Alphonsa had gotten the way they were.

"I see…so you did it to try and resurrect your mother. It must have been tough," Tucker said.

The blonde did not reply.

"You realise what you both did is unforgivable, right?" Tucker asked. "Although, I can understand your feelings."

"Well–"

"Who are you?"

"That sounded like Al," Edwina said and jumped out of bed. Along with Tucker, she went downstairs to see Alphonsa, protectively holding Nina as she stared at the three military officers in front of her. The two solders on either side of the much taller third were armed with riffles.

"I don't what Lieutenant Colonel Mustang told you, but I, Brigadier General Basque Grand, am in charge of the works of the Sewing-Life Alchemist," the dark-skinned man said in a gruff voice.

"Basque Grand? Then can you give me permission to read–" Edwina was cut off.

"Shou Tucker's work is a Military top secret!" Grand stated. "Not just anyone can view it."

* * *

The next morning, the Elrics sisters packed up all their belongings and prepared to leave Tucker's house. They stood outside the house, along with Basque Grand, his subordinates, Tucker, Nina, who was holding her father's hand, and even Alexander.

"Where are you going, Little Big Sister, Bigger Sister?" Nina asked, saddened. She felt her family was complete since the two girl her moved in with her, her father and Alexander. She did not want them to leave.

Edwina could think of anything to say, but Alphonsa crouched and gently said, "Don't worry. We'll can back to play with you soon, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yes."

The small brunette looked at the older of her 'sisters'.

"Yes, we will come back," Edwina informed the girl.

Nina let go of her father's hand and walked forwards a few steps. The girl held out her pinkie and asked, "Do you promise to come back?"

The Elrics looked at each other. After a little while, they came to a decision.

"We promise," the two girls said in unison then in turn took said a hold of Nina's pinkie in their own and shook it to complete the promise.

"You can't break a Pinkie Promise, its bad luck," Nina told Edwina and Alphonsa, then waved to them. "I'll see you soon!"

The two girls gave a final smile and wave before they left.

Once they were out of earshot and Nina and Alexander were somewhere else, Grand, with out turning to Tucker, said, "Are you mad? The older girl showed that she possesses the ability to perform transmutations without a Circle. Even the Grand Generalissimo had complimentary words for her."

Tucker did not speak.

"Thank to that girl's abilities, that upstart bitch Mustang has gained some points," The Brigadier General continued.

"I apologise for making you worry, sir," Tucker said.

"I was able to Trick the others last year, Tucker, but if you do not produce any results this year, I will be in trouble also, as I support you."

"But…!"

"Do you want to give up your State Licence and your title to that child and return to your former lifestyle? That lifestyle of wandering form town to city with an empty stomach?" Grand asked, turning to face the alchemist.

Tucker became silent once more.

"You are at the end of the road. The assignment will be done the day after tomorrow," Grand stated.

Later that evening, Tucker sat in the dinning room on his own, his only light from the candles on the table.

"Daddy?"

Tucker looked up to see his beloved daughter and her pet standing at rhe door to the room.

"Are you ok, Daddy?" Nina asked.

Tucker got up out of his seat and crouched at the child's level. Trying to put on a brave face, Tucker drew his daughter into a hug. "I'm at the end of the road here, Nina."

The little girl closed her eyes and placed her arms around the man in a comforting manner.

"Daddy…" she whispered.

Further later on that night, near midnight, the two of Brigadier General's subordinates, who had been left to guard the Tucker home, heard a strange noise. It almost sounded like someone clapping their hands together and the soldiers readied their guns. The next thing they knew, however, they were bound and gagged and two figures had forced open a window and entered the house.

"What will you do if your qualification is taken away for this?" Alphonsa nervously asked her sister as the two of them walked along the dark hallway.

"If there is nothing here, I will be happy." the older girl replied. "If the case is otherwise…"

The two girls walked until they went down a flight of stairs they had never noticed before, and found a caller. The cellar was lit with nothing but candles - and the glowing eyes of demonic creatures locked in cages. They were chimeras. The chimeras were roaring and letting out almost-human screams. The Elrics tensed at the site.

"Well what a pleasant surprise. Come on in, girls," The two of them heard Tucker's voice call from around a corner. They walked over to and opened the door to the second room.

The Elrics looked around the room and saw that the walls and ceiling were covered in Transmutation Circles and a book was open on a desk. Something just did not seem right - but what was it?

"Look," said Tucker, moving aside to reveal a small, grey-furred, dog like beast that had long brown hair running from its head to all the way down its back. It had a similar build a small lion, and some of the hair framed the creature's face and its glowing eyes.

"This is a complete chimera that can understand and speak human words," The alchemist said proudly, then crouched to the creature.

"Listen, this is Edwina," Tucker told the chimera, pointing at said girl.

The creature reminded silent for a few minutes then it opened its mouth and spoke, "Ed…wina?"

The voice of the chimera was slow and very deep.

"Yes, good job," Tucker congratulated the beast.

"Good…job?" the chimera said slowly.

"I can't believe it…it's actually talking!" Alphonsa said, in awe of what Tucker was capable of.

"I created it just in time for the Assignment Day," The bespectacled man said rubbing the back of his neck. "Now I won't have worry about being poor again."

Edwina walked over to the small abomination and crouched in front of it. The beast look at her for a few moments before it reached down and used its mouth pull out the watch from the girl's pocket.

"Ed…wina…" the chimera said.

The girl was close to tears. She placed a hand on the creature's head, gently stroking it, and said gently, "Don't worry, it's going to be ok."

"Little…Big…Sister…" the chimera said.

Edwina stood up, her teeth clenched.

"Nee-san?" Alphonsa said.

Alphonsa may have being convinced, but Edwina was no such fool.

"Tell me, Tucker-san…when was the first time you transmuted a chimera that could speak human words," Edwina said, almost stern.

"You already know that, it was two years ago," Tucker replied.

"And when did your wife leave you?"

"That was also two years ago."

Tucker seemed good at playing innocent.

"Do the letters Nina writes still reach your wife even though she has left?"

"Well I'm not quite sure."

Edwina turned to face the man completely, her fists clenched and growled, "Where are Nina and Alexander?"

Tucker sighed in defeat. "That's what I hate about smart children like you. You have good perception."

Edwina snapped. Letting out an animalistic scream of rage she grabbed the front of Tucker's shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"Nee-san, stop!" Alphonsa cried, but her older sister was too enraged to listen.

"You bastard! First you use your wife! And now you use you daughter and her dog to transmute a chimera!" Edwina spit.

"_What?_" Alphonsa said, shocked.

"Using a human is easier isn't it?"

Tucker did not reply, instead simply staring at the girl holding him with a mad glint in his eyes.

"Say something!" Edwina shouted, slammed the man's head against the wall.

"Why are you so angry, Edwina-chan?" Tucker asked giving the blonde a crazed grin. "Medical science can only advance with the use of human in experiments. If you are an alchemist–"

"Cut the crap!" Edwina snapped. "Do you really think you are going to get away with toying with human life?"

"Human life?" Tucker gave a mad laugh. "I am not the only who has toyed with human life. Look at yourself. Your arm and leg, your sister's body…these are the result of toying with human life is it not? You and I are quite the same–"

Blood and saliva flew from Tucker's mouth and his glasses flew off as Edwina drove her metal fist across his face. Tucker laughed as if nothing has happened, further infuriating the blonde girl.

Edwina was about to strike again when Alphonsa spoke, "Why did you do this, Tucker-san? You said you only needed to pass the assignment to keep the lifestyle you have with Nina."

"I have no reason to create a chimera, but I am an alchemist, and I wanted to create one that could speak human words so I did," Tucker answered.

"You bastard!" Edwina shouted, shaking Tucker.

"Ah, but even though It was taboo, you dabbled in Human Transmutation," The man continued. "As I said, you and I are the same."

Edwina punched the man again. "_NO! _I am_ NOTHING_ like you!"

Again, Tucker spoke as if nothing had happened the maddened look on his face increasing. "All humans, not just scientists and alchemists, have a limitless desire to use their knowledge. The desire to use the power that is given to them. The desire to know and understand all secrets of the world…and experiment with them. That is the true nature of alchemy."

Edwina punched the man so hell he crashed to the caller floor.

"Alchemy is…we don't…NO!" Edwina shirked.

The girl struck again and again and again and again, swearing, shouting and shrieking.

"Nee-san stop! You'll kill him!" Alphonsa cried.

Edwina drew her fist back for the final blow, seeing no ramose or regret on the man's face - until she heard a low growl and a and a tugging her coat and looked down to see the former girl looking almost angry. When she was sure that her 'sister' had stopped, Nina - or rather Nina-Alexander let go of the coat. "Don't…Little Big Sister…"

Letting Tucker collapse in a heap on the floor, Edwina composed herself then crouched at Nina-Alexander's level. "Hey, Nina-chan?"

"Yes…Little Big Sister?"

"This will hurt a little but bear with it ok?"

Edwina raised her hands to clap them.

"Nee-san, what you going to try and separate her and Alexander's souls?"

Tucker laughed once again from on the floor and said, "You can never separate them! That chimera is perfect!" the alchemist took a moment to laugh again before adding, "be sure to try and not let Nina suffer the same as your mother!"

_The bastard has a point… _Edwina thought and lowered her hands. Nina-Alexander looked at her for a few more minutes then turned to Alphonsa, who crouched next to her.

"Let's play…Bigger Sister…us, and…Little Big Sister…" Nina said slowly.

Alphonsa petted the creature's head and said, "Nina-chan…"

Suddenly the door to the room was kicked open. In came Basque Grand and four other soldiers in his command, who were armed.

"What is the meaning of this, Edwina Elric?" Grand demanded.

"Tucker-san…he used his daughter and dog to…" Edwina paused, before telling anyone of what had happened.

Soon after, Nina-Alexander, now contained in a cage like the animal she so much resembled, was loaded into the Military van by one the soldiers. Tucker had been arrested and was also let into the van, handcuffed and silent. The Elric sisters could only watch as the events unfolded.

"We will let the Military Council decided the fate of Mr Tucker and the Chimera," The Brigadier General informed the Elrics. "Do not speak of tonight's events to anyone."

"Wait a minute!" Edwina cried moving towards Grand but was restrained by another soldier. However, that didn't stop her from trying to lash out anyway. "You knew what Tucker-san was doing? Now you are trying to cover up the evidence–!"

Grand slammed his metal gauntlet-clad fist into the back of the girl's head and she slumped onto the ground. Grand them transmutated the weapon back to normal and ordered his troops to move out.

As the door to the van closed, Edwina slowly got to her knees.

"I'm not letting them take her away!" the young alchemist growled and slammed her hand in to the ground. Blue alchemic lighting shot from her hand and sped across the ground to the van causing to topple over and crash onto its side. Out of the smoke came Nina.

"Nina!" Edwina shouted. Nina looked back, whimpering like a dog, before running off. "Nina, come back!"

The blonde set of in pursuit of the once young child.

There streets were deserted, allowing Nina to run for long as she could to get away from the people who had placed her in a cage.

The memory of her father coaxing her down to the cellar with the promise of sweets and that she was helping him with is assignment. Then, he had made her hurt. He made her scream in pain, which she was still in now. Her body hurt whether she moved or stayed still. Her mind hurt as two entities, herself and Alexander, were fighting to find a balance that could never be made. Her very soul hurt. Her father had done this to her; her beloved father. Was it because she had been bad? Had she and Alexander misbehaved? Was this her punishment?

Scared at what would happen if she was caught Nina-Alexander run into the next alleyway.

"You poor thing…" a voice said quietly and Nina-Alexander looked up to see a man sitting at the back of the alley she was in. To her, the man did not seem scary, but he did smell bad. She also could not help but wonder why he was wearing sunglasses at night-time.

Nina-Alexander walked up to the man and nuzzled his chest, leaning into the man's touch as he gently stroked her head. As the man petted her, the tattoo on his arm gave a flash of red light.

"I see, you are a creature made from human and beast combined. But, why would I know such a thing?" the man said to himself.

The creature whimpered in response. It went then she realised she would never be herself again.

"So pitiful," said the man and placed his hand on the beast's forehead, turned his eyes to the heavens and said, "God…the Almighty who created everything…release these souls from their pain. Welcome them into your Kingdom with open arms."

The creature felt warmth as a red light glowed around her.

And 4-year-old Nina Tucker knew no more…

* * *

Edwina and Alphonsa had finally reached the alleyway they had seen Nina-Alexander run into.

When Edwina saw the sight that awaited her - the bloodstains on the back wall of the alleyway - she felt like her whole world was crashing down around her. The smile, the laugh - all gone. All gone because of a father's selfish action.

"Nina…" Edwina sobbed. "Nina!"

Back out on the street the man was thinking about the child he had just send in God's arms.

"God…I finally understand…I finally understand why my Onii-chan gave me this arm…it is to allow me to use the same techniques that those alchemists who that the alchemists who disobey you use…to destroy them…"

Back inside the alley, Alphonsa sadly spoke. "It looks like she was decomposed using alchemy…but who did it?"

Edwina was not listening. "I'm so sorry, Nina-chan…" the older girl said, tears steaming down her face.

"Nee-san…" Alphonsa said.

Edwina just screamed and sobbed her anguish.

* * *

**Author's Notes: So glad I have got one of the saddest moments in FMA, be it anime or manga, out of the way. Still I tried to enjoy writing it. Hope you enjoyed it, readers ^_^**

**Leave a review if you want.**

**Thank you ^_^**


	9. The Philosopher's Stone

**Chapter 8**

_**The Philosopher's Stone**_

It had begun to rain; a weather most befitting the mood.

A military car pulled up to see Edwina, still sobbing, the tears flowing down her cheeks, clapping her hands together and placing them on the wall for umpteenth time. All of her previous attempts had been fruitless but she wanted to try just one more time. But, just like all the other attempts, nothing happened except more blood smeared on her gloves.

"If there was ever anything that could be called 'The Work of the Devil', this would be it," Rizo said sombrely as he looked out of the car window at the crying girl.

"Devil's Work, huh?" Roya said. "We State Alchemists are human weapons of the Military. If the circumstances need it, we are called to duty. And, if ordered to, we must dirty our hands with blood."

"It must be tough, even though both you and I are used to it, Ma'am," the Second Lieutenant replied.

"What Tucker has done and the situation we are in right now are similar, if you look at the way it affects human life," the Lieutenant Colonel continued.

"That is adult reasoning. But those two…" Rizo looked again at the two girls in the alleyway. "Those two are still but children."

Mustang nodded and got out of the car.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, Alphonsa turned around.

"Nee-san," she alerted her sister to the presence, gently placing her hand on the girl's shoulder when she ignored her. "Nee-san, the Lieutenant Colonel…"

Edwina turned around to her superior officer standing there, one hand on her hip.

"It's a useless effort," Mustang said gently, but also sternly. "It is impossible to resurrect the dead no matter how good an alchemist you are. Surely you should know that by now."

Edwina turned completely around; an angry and upset look on her face.

"Who would be happy if that incomplete chimera is revived?" Roya asked.

The girl not said answer.

"As you walk down this path you chose, you will experience much harsher things," Roya continued. "I understand that it is hard, but you must accept this and, perhaps even by force, move on."

"Accept this?" Edwina shouted and run at the soldier to punch her just like Tucker, but was stopped by the woman's hand grabbing her outstretching wrist.

"You have a goal you wish to accomplish, yes?" Roya asked. "Do you have time to stand idle and mourn this girl?"

Sighing, Hughes pulled up at the scene and got out of his car. "How am I going to get home and give my daughter her daily bath and bedtime tuck-in with all this going on?"

Roya glanced at Hughes and the soldiers accompanying him before speaking to the Elrics again. "The Investigation Department will take care of this. Move aside."

Edwina glared at Roya for a few more moments before setting off at a run towards the car Rizo sat in. Hughes glanced at her as she passed. Alphonsa follow silently afterwards. Once in inside the car, Edwina cried and cried until she fell asleep from exhaustion and grief.

"This is just gruesome," the major said as he examined at the bloodstains on the wall.

"Do you think this was done by the serial murderer?" one of the other soldiers asked.

"They seem only to go after woman and girls," Hughes replied. "Also this one is not sliced up as you can see. It looks like…" Hughes moved closer to the wall "It looks like it was blown up from the inside."

* * *

A week had passed since the untimely demise of Nina Tucker and no-one was any closer to finding out what had happened to her and who had done it. Edwina's mood had not changed. That dull day, she and Alphonsa sat on steps of Tuckers' former home, Edwina simply flicking open and shut her watch. She glanced up as Jean Havoc walked up to them.

As the Second Lieutenant led the two sisters into the house, he asked, "What's with the long face, Boss?"

"We've just been though a lot," Edwina replied sadly. "I made the decision that I would not hesitate again, but it's hard…"

"Oh, sorry if I was a bit blunt."

"That's ok. So, what are our orders?"

"This," Havoc answered leading the Elrics to a door and opening it. Inside the dark room, papers and books were scattered here and there. Some of the chimeras that had being in the cellar were there too, roaring and screaming their anguish once again as they sat in their cages.

_What?_ The blonde alchemist thought.

"You have to use the data in here so that you gain an understanding of Tucker's research," Havoc told the girls.

"Are you telling me I have to continue Tucker's research?" Edwina said angrily, not bothering to be polite, as she now hated Tucker just as much as she hated her father.

Havoc turned to the young alchemist and replied, "Although he did it in the wrong way, his research could benefit the Military in various ways."

"Then let Tucker himself do it!" Edwina shouted.

"That is impossible."

"Why?"

"Because Tucker is dead."

"Huh?" Edwina said. "He's dead? But how?"

"His crimes could not be more apparent, so it was decided that he was to be executed," Havoc explained.

"So the case was concealed?" Edwina said, shocked and even more infuriated. How could everyone just go on as if nothing terrible had happened? How could they just forget that a child had been killed?

"Never mind. You just stay loyal to the Military. That is one of the three State Alchemist rules," Havoc said, holding out a small pile of Tucker's research notes to the girl.

Giving in, Edwina took the notes and the Second Lieutenant left.

After a few hours of silent work, Alphonsa found something interesting.

"Hey, by the look if these books, Tucker was doing research on the Philosopher's Stone on top of everything else," the armour girl said, turning to the blonde girl.

"He was, huh? That's nice," the blonde replied as she searched though a sack.

"How long are you going to sulk and be gloomy, Nee-san?"

"I don't know."

"Well anyway, in this book it says that that Philosopher's Stone is the ultimate secret of alchemy," Alphonsa explained. "It infinitely amplifies an alchemist's technique and enables them to perform transmutations that bypass the principle of Equivalent Exchange. In other words we could–"

Edwina threw the sack at her little sister and stood up.

"That thing is just a legend!" She snapped. "It's just a fairy tale and a myth!"

Alphonsa removed the sack from her face. "But Tucker-san was researching it–"

"I don't care about his research!" Edwina shouted. "Al, are you forgetting about Nina?"

Close to tears, the girl run out of the room and went to Central Headquarters to post a request to Lieutenant Colonel Mustang.

"I am sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot permit that," Mustang answered her subordinate's question.

"Why? That serial killer might have being the one who killed Nina!" Edwina said.

"I will look for them," Roya tried to reassure the younger alchemist. "Now, I gave you orders to amylase Mr Tucker's research. How is that getting along?"

"I don't want to that," Edwina said. "I will look the matter of Nina myself."

"Well, if you want to do that," Roya said, then pointed at Edwina's pocket watch, "You can leave that behind."

"I was intending to, anyway," the girl stated, then slammed the watch down onto the desk and walked out.

"Nee-san," Alphonsa greeted the blonde girl as she walked past her out of the building and followed her.

"Look you not the only one who is angry and upset because we couldn't save Nina," Alphonsa said, reading what was still on Edwina's mind. "But we are alchemists; it's our job to find the culprit, so we can save other children form suffering the same fate as Nina."

_Oh, shut up, Al!_ The older Elric thought then broke into a run. She was not really looking where she was going, as she just wanted to get away - and crashed into someone. Stumbling backwards, she caught herself at the last moment, and avoided hitting the hard ground.

"Hey, you're that girl from before."

Edwina looked up. "And you're the guy who tried to get into the First Branch Library."

The man looked just as raggedly as the first time Edwina had seen him. He was wearing the same outfit as before, the sleeve that had being ripped off repaired.

"Since you could get in there, that would mean you are a State Alchemist, yes?" the man asked.

"Well, I was, but not anymore," Edwina replied.

"Is that so?" the man said. "Then, that is better for your sake."

The man turned and walked away, while the young alchemist stared after him, wondering what his words meant. She did not hear the man matter to himself, "That is better for you sake…as I won't need to destroy you using my arm."

At that same time, at Central Train Station, a train had just arrived from Rizenbul. Winter Rockbell happily hopped off this train, suitcase in hand, and looked around.

"Ed and Al are going to be so surprised that I personally came, all by myself, to congratulate them," Winter said as he adjusted his suitcase and strolled out of the station.

* * *

"Thank you for the help, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Alphonsa said.

"It's ok. However, I do not know much about the Philosopher's Stone. All I have heard is that it is a legend and does not exist in the real world," the man explained.

"Really…that's what Nee-san said too," Alphonsa said.

Rizo leaned closer to the armour girl and whispered, "I do not mean to be rude, but I do not think you should hold interest in such an object."

"Why?" Alphonsa asked in the same low voice.

"It is said that bad things can happen to those who get close to it,"

"Oh, you are interested in the Philosopher's Stone, are you?"

Alphonsa and Rizo jumped. Führer Bradley was standing behind them. Rizo raised his arm in a salute.

"Who is this man?" Alphonsa asked the Second Lieutenant.

"He is–"

Bradley raised a hand to silence Rizo.

"You wish to obtain the Philosopher's Stone?" Bradley asked the younger Elric.

"Yes," the girl replied.

"For what reason?"

"For human–" Alphonsa stopped. She could not say that, not to the Führer. "I mean, I want to recover what my Nee-san lost."

Bradley smiled. "You are such a caring little sister,"

Alphonsa gave a small giggle and rubbed the back of her metal neck, for once glad to be a suit of armour, as it could not blush.

"Like Lieutenant Hawkeye here, I do not know all the detail about the Stone, but many people do believe it exists. I have heard stories of people succeeding in creating it. Rumours like that always make it into Military hands some way or another," Bradley explained. Central Library's First Branch should have records holding information like that."

"Really?" said Alphonsa, curiosity growing.

"However, only State Alchemists can access that place,"

"Oh. Excuses me," Alphonsa said, gave a polite bow (since she could not curtsey) then started to walk away.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, why would you tell the girl such a thing?" Rizo asked.

The Führer rubbed his chin for a few moments then placed his hands behind his back and replied, "I think it is a good thing for a young one to have a dream. Don't you agree, Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

"Ah…well…you have a point there, Your Majesty," Rizo said.

Meanwhile, in the lunch hall, Hughes was pestering his fellow soldiers by showing them pictures of his daughter and asking them how adorable she was.

"So, you think she's cute too, right?" Hughes asked the next man at the table.

"Yeah, I guess so…" the man replied.

At the very next table, Edwina had pushed her lunch to one side (she was not even hungry in the first place) and took the book she had obtained out of her coat and started to read. Just like when she was studying for the State Alchemist Exam, Edwina went into her state reading in which she became unaware of the events around her.

"How does she look? Elicia that is."

Edwina's head snapped up at voice and because a picture of Hughes, his wife, and daughter, was shoved in her face.

"Do you think she looks like me? Because some people say tha–"

The girl grabbed his wrist and pulled the photo out of her face.

"Don't bother me now, Major," the girl snapped.

"That's not a very nice attitude to be taking towards me, Edwina-chan," Hughes replied, a smile still on his face as he took a seat next to the blonde. "I am allowing you access to analysis on series murderers I would not be permitted to show others."

"Well, you own me two favours. One for the incident on the train and one for helping Gracia-san."

"Really? Well anyway we're stuck here for the moment," Hughes said as place his arms behind his head in a casual manner. "There are no witnesses to the murder even though it took place near the heart of the city. The victim was slashed and hacked to death and I doubt it was done a short amount of time."

"Maybe the murderer killed the victim in another place, then brought them in?" the girl suggested. "How much time had passed after the victim died?"

"Well, the autopsy didn't tell us the exact time. However, the Military and the police are searching all vehicles that enter the city," Hughes explained, and took one of Edwina's untouched rolls and began to eat it.

"Well that's good that they are taking precautions…but I feel like we are missing something," the young alchemist said. "For example, a car good enough to hide a corpse."

"Or the act of an alchemist."

That _really _angered Edwina. Turned completely to the major, she shouted, "Alchemists are not _murderers_!"

Hughes felt almost amused at the girl's outburst.

"Excuse me, are you Edwina Elric?" asked a voice.

Said girl looked to see a dark-skinned soldier standing at the table.

"You have a guest waiting for you at the reception desk," the man explained.

"Guest?" Edwina repeated.

At the moment, the back door to the cafeteria opened and a young woman, the delivery girl, her brown hair slightly askew, entered and went to the meat preparation area, the product of her latest errant in a sack she was carrying.

"How are you all doing?" she asked her fellow employees as she entered the shop.

"We're fine, thank you. I am so glad you don't mind doing this all the time," one of the workers said.

"Don't mention it."

The woman carried the bag over to the counter, asking, "There was another State Alchemist Exam recently, right?"

"Yes," the same worker as before replied. "Did you know a girl of just 12-years-old passed?"

"No. That's impressive."

"I heard she did this with her hands," the man paused in washing dishes to clap his hands together, "and transmutated something."

"Wow."

"Look," the worker pointed, "it's that girl with the long blonde hair and red coat."

The woman looked. For a 12-year-old she did look rather small.

"Oh yes, I should warn you. Be careful when you are out there on your own, that serial killer seems to goes after pretty woman and girls," the man told the woman, a little stern.

The delivery girl nodded. "I will. Thank you for worried about me."

"Well I do care about you."

"I do hope that horrible person gets caught soon. So did you here anything more about that case?"

"Actually…"

* * *

Winter sat on the stairs leading to the Military building entrance. He had been told to wait there for a while by a soldier while he went to get Edwina.

That while had turned into a long time.

His patience fast running out, the boy lowered his head and sighed. "How much longer is Ed intending on making me wait?"

Due to the heat of the sun, the boy was wearing a white t-shirt, white, three-quarter length cargo trousers, and brown sandals.

A sunhat covered his short light blonde hair that had a fringe that slanted to the left and some hair hanging to his chin down in front of his ears. His cerulean eyes also shone in the sunlight.

Winter took another look around his surroundings. He perked up when he spotted a vehicle parked on the road near him. He was fascinated with all kinds of machinery and could not resist taking a closer look.

"Wow! This is a refrigeration van! Central City really does have the latest vehicles," Winter said, running his hands over the metal of the van, awestruck. "I really want to take it apart and see how it works."

"If you take it apart, that would cause me some trouble."

Winter turned to see a woman with curly brown hair wearing a green sundress walk up to him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The boy nervously apologized. "Is this your van?"

"Yes, it is," The woman replied, opening the door and tossing her apron inside. "It's my food shop's carrier van."

"It's so cool!" Winter said as he continued to examine the vehicle.

"Would you like a look inside?" the woman asked.

"What? Really? You don't mind?" Winter asked, excitement growing.

"I really don't mind."

"Thank you so much!" The grateful boy said and stepping inside.

Some time later, Edwina and a soldier walked outside to pick up Winter, only to find the staircase empty.

"Huh? I told that boy to wait here," the dark-skinned soldier said as he looked around. "How strange."

Edwina walked down to the bottom of the stairs, also looking around.

"Miss Elric?"

The female alchemist ignored the man. She had found footsteps on the ground and something lying at the end of them, glinting in the sunlight. She went over and picked up that something. It was a metal screw.

"This looks like…" Edwina pulled her sleeve and compared the screw to those in her mechanical arm. "This belongs to Winter."

"Huh?" the Military officer said.

The girl saw skid marks on the ground. "Was there a car parked here?"

"Yes. There was a refrigeration van here from the food company that delivers to the cafeteria."

Edwina gasped. "A refrigeration van…it can…it can hide bodies! But why would…no it can't be!"

Turning on her heel, the older Elric sister began to run.

"Miss Elric!" the soldier called after her.

Edwina was gone. She ran down alley after alley. Eventually, after many dead ends, she found the remigration vehicle outside a butcher shop. The building was full of many bodies of disembowelled pigs on hooks.

The young alchemist heard sobbing coming from further inside the butcher ahop and, following the noise, found a young woman wearing a green dress curled up, her head in her arms.

"Are you alright?" Edwina asked the woman as she approached her. "Did you get kidnapped too?"

"Y-yes," the woman whimpered. "There is one other over there," she indicated the area.

Edwina turn around. "Okay, let's collect them and get out of here. You will be saf–"

Something hard collided with the back of the girl's skull. She crashed to the floor, her vision blurring. The last image she saw was the woman above her, a club in her hands, smiling triumphantly.

* * *

Edwina awoke to the sound of mechanical buzzing. She was still in the butcher shop, but deeper inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the green-dress wearing woman. She was running a circular saw though something that was throwing sparks everywhere.

"Ah, you're awake, little girl," the woman greeted cynically as she turned around.

Edwina tried to move but found she was tied to a chair - and her automail arm was missing.

"I heard you can perform transmutations without a Circle…" the woman's voice had taken on a much deeper tone. "So I took some precautions."

The woman lifted the object she had been cutting into for the girl to see. It was her mechanical arm.

The woman laughed. "Allow me to introduce myself…" she reached up and took off her wig. It was not woman at all - it was a man with blonde and brown hair and pale skin. "I own this shop. My name is Barry. Tell you what. I will show you a little something as a reward for making it this far."

Barry pushed forward a line of dead pigs on a railing, and, at the end of it, his hands bound together above his head by a chain connected to the railing, a cloth gag across his mouth - was Winter.

The serial killer placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, lifted him onto a stool and said, "I have never cut up a boy before…but I'm sure it will be fun. Though, I'll start with something I'm more familiar with," He eyed the girl.

"Why would you do that?" Edwina demanded

"I wanted to get just you, but since this boy is your friend, I figured he'd tell someone if you went missing, and that could be troublesome for me," Barry explained.

"Mmmm!" Winter whimpered though his gag, struggling.

"I killed my wife first," Barry said as he walked back to the table that held his tools. "We had a stupid argument, and I did it in anger." He picked up a large axe. "However, since I was able to slice her so beautifully and expertly…" He turned to Edwina. Winter struggled all the more harder. "I started to want to slice other people up even more beautifully. I wanted people to see how good I was."

Edwina managed to move her hand enough to reach into her pocket.

"You cannot kill someone for such a stupid reason!" she snapped.

"Yes I can. Anyone can kill another person, for any reason." Barry said, his eyed widening in madness, as he began to walk towards the girl, axe in hand. The girl tried to hide her fear.

"People kill each other in wars," the man said, halting inches away from the girl. "Why do think that is?"

"I-I don't know."

Barry swing his axe down, slicing into the young alchemist's shoulder, causing her to yelp in pain and Winter to give a muffled yelp and advert his eyes by closing them. Blood dribbled onto the floor.

The murderer moved his face inches away from the girl's and hissed, "It's because people _want _to kill other people. I have seen State Alchemists such as you kill on the battlefield without a second thought. _Splat _and they're dead."

"No!" Edwina cried. Images of her mother, the monster she created, and Nina flashed though her head. "No!"

She pressed the screw she had in her pocket against the chains binding her, and, with a flash of alchemic lightening, freed herself, turning the chains into a sharp metal pole, and caused Barry to stumble backwards in surprise.

"Why you!" Barry shouted after recovering, and slashed at he girl again. He missed as the girl leapt to the side, her eyes wide with fear. He slashed again, and was astonished when the blonde girl blocked the blow using her left foot. Kicking the metal pole into her one hand, she got to her feet and ran.

"Mmm-mm!" Winter squeaked. He could do nothing but watch helplessly.

The serial killer laughed manically as he pursued Edwina though the dead pigs, every so often getting close and just missing with his axe. He smirked when she tripped and fell. Petrified, the girl backed away on her back, slashing blindly with her weapon and lacerating the man's hands. Barry cried out and Edwina used this distraction to get away once again.

Running in a full circle around the shop, the girl made her way over to Winter and tried to loosen the chains binding his hands.

"Damn it!" she said as the chain remained tight.

"Mm-mm-_mm_!" Winter tried to warn his friend.

Edwina turned to see Barry charging at her.

He hacked again, just barely missing the girl and the boy, instead hitting the table where his tools were, and knocked Edwina's automail arm to the floor. Spotting the limb, Edwina picked it up and ran off once again though the swine maze.

Making sure there was plenty of distance being herself and the axe-wielding madman, Edwina prepared to self-reinstall her mechanical arm. Closing her eyes, she pushed the arm back into the port on her shoulder, crying out in pain.

She looked up as Barry slashed though another dead pig and stood over her.

Her terror growing, Edwina clapped her hands together, transmuting a blade onto her automail arm.

On the other side of the room, Winter slipped off the stood he was standing and swung though the air, giving a continuous cry and knocking a line of pigs.

Barry sliced at Edwina again and again and again, laughing, the girl just managing to black his blows.

Barry was suddenly knocked off his feet by the line of pigs Winter had moved, falling on top of the blonde girl. Edwina took that opportunity to knock the man's weapon from his hand. She then moved her blade to deliver her own final blow to the man.

"Don't!" A voice cried, and a hand grabbed Edwina's shoulder. Thinking she was under attack from a new force, the female alchemist changed the course of her blade and sliced at whoever was behind her. Everything went silent.

"You know I won't die from that," the voice said after a few moments.

Edwina turned around, and to her absolute relief, found Alphonsa kneeling behind her.

A soldier emerged though the pigs.

"There he is!" The soldier pointed his gun at Barry, who held up his arms.

"Al…" said Edwina, tears beginning to pour from her eyes.

"Its okay, Nee-san," the armour girl said gently.

"Al…I though he was going to kill me…" tears splashed onto the floor. "I though I was going to die…I was frightened."

Winter barely noticed a soldier untying him, as he was in shock not only from what had just happened, but also from the fact that he was seeing Edwina Elric, the tomboy, the tough girl, crying.

Edwina curled her fingers onto the front of Alphonsa's breastplate. "I was really, really frightened."

Alphonsa put her arms around her sister as she sobbed, looking frail.

_Hughes-san was the one who noticed that the same food van has gone though the security checkpoint multiple times, so we managed to get to the shop just in time._

Barry was lead to a waiting car in handcuffs, while the Elric sisters, the older having stopped crying, but still was upset, sat on the steps of the butcher shop, and Winter stood next to Roya and Rizo. The latter had his hands on the boy's shoulder.

_This case was later to be known as the "Barry the Chopper" case. It became Nee-san's first accomplishment._

The arrested mass murderer gave the blanket-wrapped blonde girl a final angry look as he was pushed into the car and driven away.

Alphonsa watched Edwina for a few more moments before speaking. "Nee-san, I've been looking around and well I think the Philosopher's Stone might actually exist. However, you need to be a State Alchemist in order to look for it."

Edwina said nothing.

Alphonsa placed a hand on her breastplate before continuing, "Nee-san, Even though I have emotions, I have no body, so I could not feel what you did when you though you were going to die. That makes me sad. I really want to return to my original body. My human body."

Still nothing from the older sister.

"I want to find the Philosopher's Stone, even if it goes against the world and is said to be impossible."

"After I was nearly killed, I realised all I can do is dream," Edwina finally spoke in a sad, low voice. "My mind went blank," she looked at her hands. "I thought too highly of myself. I thought I could save someone," she lowered her hands again.

As he stood there watching, Winter could not help but feel ashamed at the fact that he had been rescued by a girl. He had been so helpless. Even now he not could think of anything that would comfort his best friends. He wondered if either of the two thought differently of him now.

"In order to accomplish the goal of getting our original bodies back, I don't care if people call me a 'Dog of the Military, or even a devil," Edwina continued. "We are not devils or gods though. We are just humans! Human who could not even save Nina, a little girl!"

Edwina started crying again, and buried her head in her arms.

Winter too, silently cried, feeling his friends' pain. He did not know who this 'Nina' was, but if this was how Edwina felt about her, it must have been tragic.

* * *

"A condition?" Roya said.

It had been a few days since the incident involving the serial murderer, and Edwina had managed go to her superior officer's office to make another request.

"I will abide to the military missions giving to me," Edwina said. "So give me all the information you have on the Philosopher's Stone."

Roya moved around to face her desk, putting her hands together.

"When I am not on missions, please give me permission to look for the Philosopher's Stone," Edwina asked.

"Do you want your crime of performing Human Transmutation to be known to the public?" the Lieutenant Colonel asked. "Your little sister will be sent to a laboratory, due to her condition being the result of a rarely successful transmutation."

Edwina tensed.

"See? I can threaten you by saying that," Mustang said. "But very well, you have my permission."

"Really?"

"However, you must report everything you find on the Stone to me, understood?"

"Yes."

"Oh," Roya opened a drawer and pulled out a document. "The Führer has given you a second name, a State Alchemist name. It is...rather ironic."

The girl took the document and opened it, reading, "In the name of Führer King Bradley, you, Edwina Elric, will be given the title of…'Fullmetal Alchemist'?"

"All State Alchemists are given a second name, as well as the silver pocket watch," Mustang explained. "So, Fullmetal Alchemist, what do you think?"

Edwina's face became serious. "I like that name, I will carry it."

Edwina was dismissed and immediately went to tell Alphonsa and Winter the news.

"You two are going to treat me to something good and expensive in celebration," Winter said as the three of them walked along the road.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Edwina asked.

"Well, I fixed your arm."

He walked further ahead.

"Nee-san, I want to let you know. That serial killer had nothing to do with Nina. He had an alibi for that night," Alphonsa said.

"Right," Edwina said.

"Who _did_ killed Nina?"

"I will find out, and when I do…" the young alchemist clenched her fists.

The three children did not notice the man who _had_ killed Nina looked at them. He spotted Edwina's watch chain.

_So you are back with them, _he thought.

He disappeared into the darkness of an alley.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**** I have really been looking foward to this chapter! I am so glad i've finally got it done. Hope you enjoy it, readers!**

**Leave a review if you want.**

**Thank you ^_^**


	10. Be Thou for the People

**Chapter 9**

_**Be Thou for the People**_

Winter gasped in delight and pressed his hands against the hardware store window, his eyes sparkling with delight. He had almost completely forgotten about what had happened a few days before, due to his love of machinery.

"Ed, Al, come on, hurry up!" the young mechanic called, before entering the shop.

"Can I have this chromium molybdenum steel spanner set? Oh, and that hydraulic torque spanner, and this micrometre please?" the boy asked in a flurry of excitement.

"Sure thing, lad," the shopkeeper said and went to collect the items.

"Oh and if you have any, can I get a metal-tipped drill and a set of bits too?"

"Of course."

The man collected and placed the requested items in bags.

"Thank you," Winter said, paying for the tools, though not with his own money (it was Edwina's).

"Oh, this is exactly what I'd expect from Central! It has way much more stuff than a countryside shop." He picked up a screwdriver from the bag, lovingly stroking it and turning it over in his hands. "The grip on this driver is just perfect!"

"Hey, are you going to buy anything else, Winter?"

The boy turned and saw Alphonsa, the one who had spoken, laden with a mountain of boxes and bags, Edwina silent beside her. She had not spoken very much during the shopping spree.

"Don't you think you are buying too many souvenirs for yourself and Aunty?" Alphonsa asked.

"What?" Winter said as he handed the new bags to the armour girl, an angry look on his face. "You two said I can buy anything I wanted today." He turned to the older alchemist. "Right, Ed?"

"Right," Edwina agreed.

For a few moments, Winter was surprised at Edwina's quick response and melancholy expression, then spotted another thing to add to his souvenirs. "Look!" he said, pointing. "These are high-carbon, chromium steel pliers! Due to what they're made of, they never rust and can gut though pretty much anything! Can I buy these too, please?"

"Sure," the blonde girl said.

Winter again noted the older Elric sister's sad expression, and again he became occupied with something else. Turning to the man at the shop counter again, he asked, "Hey, mister, can I have a discount on this machine oil?"

"Sorry, lad, but no can do."

"Oh, well, I'll just pay the normal price."

After paying, the three children left the tool shop and continued to walk until Winter spotted a jewellers.

"I'll be right back!" the boy said to the girls and went inside.

"He's really going overboard, just because I said he could buy whatever he wanted. Isn't that what girls are stereotypically supposed to do?" Edwina thought aloud.

"Well, at least he's not thinking about what happened a few days before today," Alphonsa replied.

fifteen minutes later, Winter re-emerged from the jeweller shop, his hands behind his back.

"Are you done yet?" the older Elric asked.

Winter took his hands out from behind his back. "Here, these are for you, Ed, and this one is for you, Al."

In one hand, the boy was holding two boxes each containing a gold necklace, one with an 'E' pendant, the other with an 'A' pendant. In his order hand the boy, the small pump of oil he had bought earlier.

Edwina was surprised, but took the gifts, remaining silent. Alphonsa thanked Winter and told Edwina to keep hers, obviously she could not wear it, though Winter did not care, as he was happy she liked it. Edwina placed the necklaces and oil carefully in her pocket.

"Make sure you take good care of your automail while I'm gone," Winter instructed Edwina.

Still silent, the girl nodded.

All of a sudden, a military car screeched to a halt where the girls and the boy stood. The vehicle's occupant gave the usual salute as he stepped out.

"Miss Elric, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang requires you go to her immediately," the brown-haired man said.

Winter and Alphonsa waited outside Central Command while Edwina proceeded to the now familiar Lieutenant Colonel's office, where Mustang explained to the girl why she had called her.

"A mission?" Edwina said, feeling both excited and worried.

"Now that you are completely a State Alchemist, you will have to carry out missions. You will need to prepare yourself," Roya made clear, then turning to Rizo, who stood next to her desk, said, "Second Lieutenant, please give her the papers."

Rizo walked over to Edwina and handed her a document.

"Here are your orders and the documents you require," Mustang's most trusted subordinate said. "Good luck."

Taking the papers, Edwina read, "Fullmetal Alchemist, Edwina Elric, I order thy to inspect the Youswell Coal Mine."

"This is a job only for a State Alchemist. It includes an inspection of mining material as well as the mine," Rizo told the girl. "You are familiar with ore deposits, right?"

"Yes," the girl responded.

"As this is your first mission, I gave you an easy job. However, you must not underestimate it," the Flame Alchemist said firmly.

* * *

It was a cool evening, and after collecting Edwina's suitcase and saying goodbye to Winter (who was rather saddened to see them go away so soon) the Elric sisters had boarded a private locomotive reserved only for State Alchemists. As for Winter, he returned to Rizenbul after seeing his goodbyes, his heart a little heavy.

"It feels like we have reserved the entire train," Alphonsa laughed. "Going for a holiday on a train is nice, you just said back and–"

"Al, this isn't a holiday. It a job for me, a Dog of the Military," Edina told her younger sister. "You didn't have to come along."

"Will you stop saying that? I am always going to be with you, Nee-san. Always, ever since…"

_An 11-year-old Winter Rockbell stood in Rizenbul Train Station, next to a train that his eleven and 10-year-old childhood friends were just about to board._

"_You will be coming back to the village some day, right?" he asked the sisters._

"_No, we won't," Edwina answered._

"_But, Ed…" Winter began._

"_Winter, we have no home to return to," Alphonsa said._

_Winter said nothing, but his expression showed his grief._

"Well, I can see where you are coming from," Edwina said.

"Nee-san, look!" the younger Elric said suddenly and pointed out of the window at an approaching town.

"That must be Youswell," Edwina said. "And the coal mines…"

They were hard not to spot.

The steam engine whistled as it arrived at the mining town. The two sisters got off the train and were surprised to find the station quiet and deserted by all but a few people.

"I thought coal mines would a bit more…active," Edwina said.

They looked around at the people.

"They all look so tired," Alphonsa observed.

"And there is nothing interesting to look at," Edwina observed. "Let just get this investigation over with and get back to central quickly–"

A large plank of wood came out of nowhere and hit the 12-year-old on the head, and she fell into her bottom. She rubbed her head.

"Oh, so sorry about that, miss."

Edwina looked up to see a young boy with brown hair and brown eyes, who dressed in a white t-shirt, green trousers with braces and tough mining boots.

"Are you two tourists? Where did you come from? Where are you going to stay and eat?" the boy asked as Alphonsa pulled Edwina to her feet.

"Who are you?" The blonde snappily asked.

The boy did not hear her as he turned and called, "Dad! We have guests!"

A tall, muscular man with dark brown hair brown eyes, a moustache and beard, dressed in a similar fashion to his son, except with a hardhat on his head, walked over one the metal scaffolding surrounding the mine.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"We have guests! Money spenders!" the child called back.

"Money spenders?" the girls repeated.

"Welcome to Youswell," the man said to the Elrics and politely took his hat off. He jumped down from the scaffolding and went over to the girls.

"My name's Halling, I'm the innkeeper here." The man introduced himself, "And this is my son, Khayal." the man introduced the boy.

Halling took the two girls to his inn, a lively, bustling place full of muscular men drinking beer at tables and woman conversing.

"Sorry the place is so dirty," Halling said as he led the Elrics to the reception desk at the back of the room. "We miners don't make much you see, so I run this inn as well."

"So that's two guests for one night, then?" the landlady at the desk, who was also Halling's wife and Khayal's mother, asked.

"I will warn you, it's expensive," Halling, who was now severing drinks, said.

"That's ok. Even if we don't look like it, we do actually have a lot of money," Edwina replied.

"Well that, that will be two-hundred-thousand," the woman said.

"TWO-HUNDRED-THOUSAND? I'm not paying that just to stay at an inn!"

"I think it's a fair price. This is the best inn in Youswell," Halling said.

"And it's near enough the same price as in other places," Khayal appeared and added.

"You two are our first guest in a long time," the miner father said. "We need to squeeze as much money out of you as possible."

Moving to a more private location, Edwina checked her wallet.

"Damn, I don't have enough, Winter used up most of it on his souvenirs."

"Then what do we do," the younger Elric asked.

"Hmmm…wait, I know!"

Moving back to the more busy part of the in, Edwina walked up to Halling and said, "I can pay in a way other than money."

"In what way then?" the moustached man asked.

Edwina turned to the other people in the inn. "Does anyone have any broken tools?"

Everyone muttered among themselves for a few confused minutes before a bearded, dark-skinned man walked up to the girl holding a rusty, rotting pickaxe.

The blonde took the pickaxe and placed it on a table. Clapping her hands together, she preformed a transmutation on the object.

Everyone in the inn gasped. The pickaxe looked good as new.

"Anyone else need something fixed?" the young alchemist asked.

"Well, could you fix this?" asked the landlady, walking forward Edwina with a broken vase. "I treasure it dearly, but one day I accidentally dropped it and it broke."

"You didn't just get rid of it?" Haling asked.

"Well, it's rare you buy me things like this."

"Just leave it to me," Edwina said.

And with another quick transmutation, the vase was whole again.

"Thank you so much!" the grateful woman said.

"How interesting, it seems that one of our first guests in a long time is an alchemist," Halling said. "You know I used to study alchemy myself, but I don't have much talent for it, so I switched to mining.

The older Elric sister swelled with pride at the praise she was receiving.

"Hey, you didn't answer me before, so, why did you two come to Youswell? It's not he most interesting of places," Khayal stated.

"A job," Edwina answered. "I came to inspect the mine."

Silence fell.

"Inspect? Are you from the military?" Halling asked, his voice suddenly stern.

"I am a State Alchemist," the young girl replied.

The next thing the blonde girl knew, she was flying though the air. She landed on the hard ground outside the inn with a hard _thud_, her suitcase following and hitting her on the head.

"Hey, what was that for? How could you do that to a girl?" the young alchemist demanded.

"We have no place or food here for a Dog of the Military, girl or not," Halling walked out and said. The other men in the inn were behind him, suspiciously and angrily eyeing at the blonde.

"Hey, you are be–" Alphonsa walked over and began.

"Are you a soldier too, armour-girl?" the miner demanded to know.

"N–" Alphonsa started but was interrupted again, this time by Edwina. "That girl has nothing to do to me. I met her on the train and she decided to accompany me here."

_Why are you saying that, Nee-san? _Alphonsa thought with a gasp.

"Ok then. You can get eaten by the other dogs out here," Halling said, and slammed the door shut on the blonde girl. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was upset that her pride had lead her to be cast out

Realising there was nothing she could do, Alphonsa sat down at a table with Khayal.

"You all sure have a _big _hatred of the military, huh?" the armour girl said to the child miner.

"And why not? Everyone hates those stupid soldiers!" Khayal snapped in response. "There is this guy called Yoki, who is in charge of this place, and he is worst if all of them!"

"Yoki?" Alphonsa echoed.

At that moment. Halling appeared, with a meal on a tray. He placed it before the younger Elric, saying, "Now Yoki's been joined by that State Alchemist. And they say 'Alchemist, be thou for the people'. Hah! They only thing that matters to them is their pride."

"Mister–" Alphonsa yet again tried to speak and yet again was cut off by Halling, "I hate those who would sell their souls just to get some special privileges."

Outside the inn, the older Elric's stomach was growling.

"So hungry…" Edwina said. "Why did I have to go and tell them I was a State Alchemist…"

Reaching into her pocket, hoping to find a morsel to eat, she instead found the small pump of oil she had been given.

"Winter…why don't you worry about my human parts instead of my mechanical parts…?" she said to herself.

Going into her pocket to put the oil back, she found the necklace her friend her bought her. Maybe he did worry about her human parts after all.

"Oh course he worries about you, Nee-san."

Edwina looked up. Alphonsa was sanding next to her - and she had food.

"I snuck out this for you," Alphonsa said, placing the food down next the older girl. "They gave it to me, but they don't know about…you know."

"Oh, thank you, Al!" Edwina said and attacked the meal hungrily. Alphonsa sighed once again at her sister's forever bad eating habits.

"The people in this town really hate soldiers," the younger alchemist told Edwina as she sat down next her.

"Well, I was prepared for that," Edwina said, taking another bite from the roll in her hands.

"Perhaps, I should get certified as a State Alchemist," Alphonsa suggested.

"Don't dare! It's bad enough that I have to go through this, and I don't want to suffer that hate as well! Besides, I am _really_ am a Dog of the Military now."

"Hey, you two, get out of the way!" a rough voice near the two demanded.

The sisters looked up at to see a assembly of four people. Three of them were men in military uniform, and one, appearing to be in his forties, had pale skin, small, thin eyes, black hair was receding from his forehead and had a black tuft in the middle of his head and a thin, black, pointed moustache. The last member was a young woman with eyes piercing grey and, black, straight, chin-length hair. The woman, appearing to be in her mid-twenties, was dressed casually in a long-sleeved back top, a red mini-skirt, two thin, brown leather belts, and loose-fitting, over-the-knee, high-heeled black boots. She was also rather shorter than the other three in the group.

The group entered the inn without even a momentary glance at the two girls outside of it. The man with the thin moustache, holding a handkerchief over his nose, said, "Your inn as dirty and dusty as usual, Halling."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't First Lieutenant Yoki. I welcome you to my filthy abode," the miner, now sitting at a table, grumpily replied.

"Let's stop with the pleasantries now and get down to business," Yoki said in response. "The taxes for this place are overdue."

"Really," Halling said in a bored voice.

"You are not the only though. I could say the same for the whole town," the Lieutenant went on to say.

"Well then, I apologise. As you know, my wage isn't exactly big," the innkeeper said.

"That is because you don't work hard enough," the black-haired woman, named Lyra, stated.

"You are the ones who lowered our wages!" one of the miners next to Halling cried, pointing a finger in the group's direction angrily. "And on top of that, you raised our taxes!"

"Lieutenant Yoki has been placed in charge of the coal mines by Central Command."

"Shut up, you stupid woman! Yoki only got where he is by using the money we work our butts off to get, to bride the higher-ups for a promotion!"

"Hmph. Well then, why don't _you _try bribing me, hm?" Yoki suggested. "After all, this world is not a place where you can be comfortable for free."

"I can't deal with this any more today, you bastard!" growled a blonde miner, who then charged at Yoki, his fist outstretching. Yoki covered his face as the man got closer. He was about to land a blow - when Lyra moved in from of the man, activating the necklace she wore. A golden light emitted from the pendant on the piece of jewellery, and a strong wind whipped up inside the inn.

Outside, Edwina and Alphonsa noticed the light and looked into the building from the window.

The golden light turned red, and surged forward like a jet of water, knocking the advancing miner right off his feet and onto the floor with a dull thud. The woman sighed.

"Thank you, Lyra. Nicely done as usual," Yoki said, placing his hands on the woman's shoulders, who slimed in response. Turned back to Halling, he said, "It seems that the stories that this place is a hang-out for thugs is true. Due to this, I might just suspend your business licence, Halling."

"What?" shouted Khayal. "Don't you dare!" He threw a beer towel at the Lieutenant's face.

"You little brat!" One of Yoki subordinate's yelled and punched the boy to the floor.

"Leave him alone!" Khayal's mother cried, but Yoki ignored her.

"Don't kill him, just make an example of him.," Yoki heartlessly ordered and the man's other subordinate walked toward the child, pulling out his sword.

"STOP!" Halling shouted and run to protect his son.

The landlady coved her eyes as the sword swung downward.

_Clang!_

A blur of red had moved in front of Khayal, blocking the blow just in .

"W-who are you?" Yoki stammered.

"I heard the Lieutenant was coming here, so I thought I would say hello," Edwina replied, and pulled out her sliver watch.

"T-that's a…" Yoki trailed off, surprised.

"Who is this girl, sir?" asked one of Yoki's men.

"You don't know about State Alchemists? Idiot! They are a group of alchemist soldiers under the direct control of the Führer!" Yoki angrily explained.

The Lieutenant walked up the blonde girl with a smile on his face.

"I apologise for the rudeness of my subordinate. I am Lieutenant Yoki, and I run this town." Yoki held out his hand for the girl to shake. "Who might you be, miss?"

"I am Edwina Elric and I came here to conduct an investigation," Edwina said, ignoring the man's outstretched hand. Yoki withdrew his ignored greeting. Everyone else just watched.

"An inspection? Well, why didn't you contact me? I would have sent someone to meet you. You must be so exhausted, come to my mansion."

The young alchemist nodded.

With that, Yoki, Lyra, Edwina and the two other soldiers left.

As soon as the group could not hear them, Halling shouted, "Those damned Dogs of the Military!"

Alphonsa simply stared at the door, thinking.

* * *

"Congratulations, Mustang, I hear you are going to be promoted to a full Colonel. And the same to you, Hawkeye. You are you going to promoted to a First Lieutenant." The sun reflected off Major General Hakuro's grey hair as he praised the two soldiers.

"Thank you, General Hakuro sir," Rizo said, while Roya nodded.

"After you are promoted I would like you to go to the Eastern Headquarters and take charge there for a while," Hakuro said.

"You're demoting me?" Roya said. Well, I guess that having someone like me around Central would be bad for–"

"No, no, it is not a demotion. It is transport to a higher-up post, _Colonel _Mustang."

Roya smiled at little at being called 'Colonel' instead of 'Lieutenant Colonel'.

"However, I have heard there are a good number of untrustworthy people in the Eastern Division. Be sure to watch out," the General warned.

Back in Youswell, Yoki had given Edwina a personal tour of his mansion, before getting her seated at the long dinning room table with himself at the opposite end.

"It is such a great honour to have a State Alchemist in my home," Yoki told the blonde.

Lyra, who was Yoki's maid, was serving the food, having changed into her maid uniform. Due to her small stature, Edwina's feet just barely touched the carpeted floor.

"Oh yes, since we have such an exceptional scientist among us, Lyra, have her take a look at your alchemy," the almost-bald man said.

"Yes, sir," said Lyra, placing a plate of food on the table in front of Edwina.

"You don't have to do that, I said it earlier in the inn," Edwina said.

"Well then, explain to me what you believe I did."

"You liquefied the air around you, reduced its volume, then immediately vaporized it again, creating a shockwave. The red light that was seen came from the extremely high temperature created by the forced compression needed to maintain entropy."

"You figured all that out just by looking at it?" Yoki gaped.

"I, too, wish to become a State Alchemist, like you, Miss Elric," the black-haired maid said.

"Like me?"

"Yes. It is my dream to became an one of best alchemists and do all I can for this country."

"Now, now let's eat before our food gets cold," Yoki said. "I hope our rural cooking with please you, it's really quite good."

Lyra moved away from the table and Yoki tucked in.

Edwina looked down at the food before her. The meal consisted of the finest steak, with delicately mashed potatoes and green beans, with a side and a starter of soup and a choice of wine or pure water to drink. Edwina picked up her spoon and tasted the soup. It was warn and delicious. She tried the steak with some potatoes. It was juicy and full of flavour. She tried the salad. It was sweet and crispy.

"You sure eat well despite the state of this town," the blonde remarked.

"Oh. you embarrass me! The tax collection hasn't been going too well lately, and I don't what I am going to do." The man's moustache twitched as he spoke. "On top of that, as you saw earlier that is a lot of violent residents here."

"You mean to tell me that all they do is assert themselves and neglect their duty to pay their taxes?" the young alchemist said.

"Oh, indeed, Miss Elric, you are a understanding young woman."

"You can express all reasoning of the world in the terns of Equivalent Exchange, both the founding law and the very basis of alchemy. With rights come responsibilities."

"Certainly," Yoki said, nodding. "As such, I wonder if you would this responsibly, by the way of the reasoning of the world." the man turned his head. "Lyra?"

The woman walked to Edwina and placed a bag of coins next to her on the table.

"It's only a small amount, but please accept it," Yoki said.

"Is this a bride?" the girl asked.

"That's a bit of a bad way to put it. Think of it as Equivalent Exchange. If you would consider the matter of the inspection…you can see how it would work."

The girl stayed silent for a good long moment before replying "I'll think about it."

"Ah, yes, Miss Elric, you are most definitely a woman of understanding. The people of this town should start behaving better, just wait and see. Now lets get back our food shall we?"

The alchemist and the Lieutenant began to eat again.

A few hours later, in Halling's inn, Alphonsa had being shown to a simple but comfortable room with a bed, a writing desk and a candle for light. The armour girl was sitting on the bed. Everyone else who stayed at the inn were in their own rooms. Halling and his family also lived in the establishment

"I wonder if Nee-san is ok on her own…" she thought aloud.

She said a noise outside her room. Opening the door and going downstairs, she found what look like a miniature gale blowing though the bar of the inn.

"Hey, what's going on?" said a tired voice.

Alphonsa turned to see Khayal walking downstairs, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

In her room in Yoki's mansion, Edwina also noticed the small storm raging around the building and rather than going out the conventional way, leapt out of her window to investigate.

She arrived to find that all the inn's residents had been evacuated. Well, almost everyone.

"Let me go!" Halling cried, struggling against the two men restraining him. "Khayal is still in there!"

"Sorry, boss, but you can't go back in, its too dangerous! It could collapse!" one of the restrainers said.

"Just, let me go! I have to help my son! Khayal! Khayal, can you hear me?" Halling struggled harder.

The ground suddenly shook, and the inn did indeed collapse into pieces of wood and dust.

"Khayal!" The miner managed to break free and ran towards the ruining inn. Crouching amongst the rubble, he began searching though the pieces of wood, calling his son's name. "Khayal!" He threw planks of wood to the side. "Khayal, where are you?"

"Dad!" a muffed voice cried from somewhere in the rubble.

Halling watched as, only a few metres away, his beloved son, covered in bruises and cuts, was pulled free form the rubble by Alphonsa, who had also been searching, despite other residents' warnings.

"Dad…" the boy sounded like he was fighting back tears.

A few hours later, dawn began to break.

Halling, his wife and some other residents of the inn. were still amongst the ruins of the building. The landlady silently crying as she clutched the vase Edwina had fixed, which was now broken again. Halling just looking around in silence. A crowd more of Youswell's people were standing near the wreckage.

"Do you think _they_ did it?" Edwina walked up to and asked her little sister.

"Yes," Alphonsa replied, knowing full well who 'they' were.

A saddened Khayal, a plaster covering a particularly nasty cut on his face, trudged up to the sisters.

"Hey, Miss, you're a some super-alchemist, right?" the child miner said, addressing the older Elric. "Can't you just create some gold? Then you could help Dad an–"

"I can't do that."

"Why not? I've lost my home! And it's not like you're going to lose something!"

"The basis of alchemy is Equivalent Exchange. I have neither duty nor obligation to help this town, so I do not have to help it."

"What, so we need to bride you too?"

Khayal grabbed onto the girl's coat collar. "And you call yourself an alchemist? What about the saying 'Alchemist, be thou for the people'?"

"'Alchemist, be though for the people', huh?" Edwina said, praising the child off of her. "Transmuting gold is a serious offence. If I'm caught, not only will I be stripped of my State Alchemist Licence, but I will all be locked up in prison."

"Well, do I am that no-one will find out!"

"Even if I did, it would just be taken away in taxes, then you will be back right where you started."

Khayal gave up.

"If it's that bad, why you and your family pack leave this town ands find a place with better work?" Edwina asked.

"Hey, kid, you may not understand this, but…" Halling, who had been listening to the conversion, spoke in a subdued voice. "This place is our home…and our coffin."

Edwina looked around at all the citizens. "Your home and coffin, huh?"

Edwina matched off. After conversing with Khayal for a little longer, the younger Elric sister set off after the older. By now, the sun had risen half way up in the sky, casting long shadows over the ground.

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa called, catching up with her sister.

"Al, we burnt our home to the ground and have nowhere to return to, which is fine, as it was our choice. However, for people that _do _have a home to return to, they have to look after it," Edwina said in a serious tone.

"Huh?" said the armour girl.

Edwina hopped up onto a coal cart. "Al, what you are about to see stays between you and me, ok?"

Pulling out her bag of coins, the blonde emptied them onto the coal underneath her feet, clapped her hands together and performed a transmutation. She then collected the results of the transmutation, and along with Alphonsa, headed to Yoki's mansion.

"You want to buy the coal mine?" Yoki almost squeaked after hearing what the girl had to say.

"Yes," Edwina answered. "And I want you to include everything from the mine to the trade routes. Is that ok?"

"Well Even though you are a State Alchemist, you are so young and well….a girl…"

"Well, that's a real shame." Alphonsa opened the door to another room, in which where the objects she had delivered to the mansion. "And I had all this ready…"

The room was filled to the ceiling with shiny, beautiful bars of pure gold. The Lieutenant's jaw dropped and his eyes became as wide as saucers. He slowly walked toward the gold. "I-is that really…all gold?"

"From my investigation, I found that mine is full of elements unexploited by alchemic research," Edwina explained. "They would come in handy. Please may I have it? I am sure this is enough for you."

"Don't be so absurd!" Yoki cried. "My selling of the mine that I was entrusted by the state for my own profit, would be a little…"

"Don't worry! This gold won't appear on any records as long as you don't tell anyone," Edwina replied with a reassuring smile on her face.

"But still…"

"I have an idea. Could you write a title deed handing over all authority over the coal to me, free of charge? Then all this gold will be yours, Lieutenant."

Yoki looked form the girl to the gold and back again, still undecided.

* * *

Khayal slammed his fist onto the barrel in front of him.

"Why? Why can't I? Why are you stopping me?" he furiously demanded.

"Because I am your father and I am not letting you fight, that's why!" Halling replied.

"But it was Yoki's maid who destroyed the inn!"

"It was just an inn. There is no need to resort to fighting."

Everyone turned as a lantern lit up the night. Standing there was the State Alchemist they hated and the armour girl they liked.

"What are you doing here, Dog of the Military?" Khayal demanded.

"I'm here to cheer up those gloomy faces," Edwina said.

"Yes, you will be happy again soon," Alphonsa, holding the lantern, added.

"Oh, go away, State Alchemist!" the miner boy snapped.

"Now, now, it that any way to speak to the new manager of this place?" the girl blonde asked.

"New manager? What did you d–"

The blonde held a up a set of papers to the protesting man. "See? This is the title deed for the mine, trading routes, management and all other rights to this coal mine."

"What?" said Halling.

"What I am trying to say is, this mine belongs to me now."

Some of the citizens mutter amongst themselves while others simply looked shocked.

I have a problem though," the girl went on to say. "I have to return to Central, and well, It would be rather troublesome to take a document confirming authorisation over a rural coal mine with me. Oh, what to do?"

"Don't tell me your are telling to sell it back to us for profit," Halling said.

"I will warn it you, it's expensive. If you ever wished to gain something…you will have to pay for with something of equal value."

Halling had nothing to say.

"You see, not only is this deed written on high-grade parchment, It has a gold leaf trim and the box is encrusted in finely crusted jade, in a nonchalant, yet luxurious design. Also, the key is made of sterling silver. Yup, this is real craftsmanship I would say its worth…Two-hundred-thousand."

"TWO-HUDRED-THOUSAND? For a title deed?" the miner cried.

"Come to think of it, didn't one night at the inn cost two-hundred-thousand?" Edwina said sarcastically. "How about I spend the night here and make it even?"

"Equivalent Exchange, eh?"

"But our inn has destroyed, remember?" Khayal said.

"If that is so," Edwina walked and pointed, "what is that?"

The people gathered around where the girl now stood, letting out gasps of surprise. There was the inn, it's lanterns lit, looking good as new.

"Our inn, our home!" Khayal's mother delightedly gasped.

"How can this be?" Halling asked.

"This should be enough to an overnight stay, right?" Edwina asked, holding out the title deed.

"Of course," the muscular man replied.

"Then its an Equivalent Exchange." The girl grinned.

A car came out of nowhere and stopped at he inn with a screeching of tyres.

Out of the car stepped Yoki, Lyra, and Yoki's men.

"Miss Elric!" Yoki shouted. "What is going on? The gold bars you gave have turned to stone!"

"Gold bars? What are you talking about?" Edwina asked with her hands on her hips.

"Don't play stupid! I traded you the title deed for the mine for that mountain of gold bars."

"But you handed it over free of charge. I even have the memo that confirms it." The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper.

"Y-you swindled me!"

"'Swindled' makes it sound so lucrative. Let's call it a legitimate transition."

"That transition is invalid!" The man turned to the to his maid. "Lyra!"

The woman immediately activated the pendant on her necklace, and performed the transmutation Edwina had accurately explained, sending the shock wave straight for Edwina, who jumped out of the way.

"Alchemist, be thou for the people! You must take that saying to heart if you are a true!" The blonde cried. You should not use alchemy for your own interests!"

"You're a State Alchemist, are you not?" Lyra asked. "Why would you go against the Military's doing?"

Lyra attempted to strike the other female down again. This time Edwina could not dodge and instead thrust out her right hand blocking the blow, in the process ripping open her glove and exposing her automail which steamed from the heat caused by the attack. Lyra gasped.

"Because I never sold my soul to them," Edwina replied sternly.

Lyra geared up for another attack. Edwina charged toward her, transmuting the usual blade onto her automail as she did. The dark-haired woman fell backward as the blade slashed at her. As she fell, she saw her pendant, her weapon, falling to the ground. She also hit the ground with a heavy thud. She looked up at the young girl, who was now standing over her. She closed her eyes, expecting a finishing blow.

"Why you…men get the deed back from– huh?" Yoki was cut short.

His men could not do very much at that moment. They were surrounded by the male residents of the town, looking nervous. "Sir…"

"You shouldn't take someone's personal property from them by force, Lieutenant," said a man, moving behind the soldier.

"And you should never underestimate the strength of a mine worker," said the man Lyra had previously defeated. The men cracked their knuckles. Yoki and his men yowled in pain the men began to beat them senseless.

Later on, in the inn, a party was in full swing, now that Yoki had been taken care of.

"Bring more saké! Being more beer!" One man ordered, while everyone else talked or laughed or sung, the Elrics right in the centre. A glass of saké was in Edwina's hand, even though she was underage. She was thoroughly drunk.

"Say, honey, don't you think this place is perhaps a little better than before?" the landlady asked as she and her husband as she watched as everyone celebrated.

"Yes, she really did well here," Halling answered and poured a glass of saké for the woman and a of bear from himself. "To Edwina Elric…the Fullmetal Alchemist." They chinked their glasses together.

* * *

"This is the report from Edwina Elric," Rizo informed the Lieutenant Colonel, placing the paper before her.

"Thank you," the woman replied.

"I heard this will provide the chance to revaluate the Youswell Coal Mine and the personal from Eastern Command who oversee it," Rizo said.

"Really? I guess that will made it easier to live in the east," Roya replied. "I'm so happy! That will make our jobs easier when we are relocated."

"Oh, Second Lieutenant, Am I really that crafty? More importantly, I hope the men in the east are handsome." Roya checked her nails and hair were neat.

Rizo sighed. "Also, Miss Elric's reputation are spreading throughout the east."

"Hm?"

"There is talk of a 'Hero of the People' amongst the Dogs of the Military."

* * *

"Edwina Elric? Yeah, I've heard of her," the car driver said.

Three years since Edwina's triumph at Youswell. Her hair had grown in the years, now reaching her hips, it was tied back in a plait as usual.

She was now travelling across the desert towards the town where her latest mission was to take place. As usual, Alphonsa was right by her sister's side.

"So want kind of person is she?" Edwina asked, having not informed man of her identity, much to Alphonsa's disapproval.

"Well, from what I have heard, she is a friend of the common man, despite being a State Alchemist."

"She much be quite an outstanding young woman, then?"

"Yes. But I also heard she is short, like a bean-sprout."

"_Short?_"

"And flat-cheated"

"_Flat-chested?_"

Edwina exploded as usual. "WHO DID YOU CALL SO MINICURE AND SMALL-BRESTED THAT SHE COULD BE MISTAKENED FOR A CHILD?"

"Stop it, Nee-san, your making the car swerve!"

The car tipped over, and the man, and the two girls tumbled out. Edwina began chasing the poor man, screaming and shouting. "Hold it, you! Come back here."

"Nee-san!" Alphonsa cried, joining in with the chase to catch her sister and save the innocent man. "If you keep scaring people away, we'll never get to Liore!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed this chapter readers! "Shoujo Fullmetal Alchemist" has a new name "Shoujo Fullmetal Alchemist: Alternate Version" as I have decided to name the manga-based version of this as "Shoujo Fullmetal Alchemist". If you think of a better name for this version of the fanfiction, do tell. Also this fanfiction may go on hiatus, as I am have been tempted with continuing "The Princess of the Key" and the manga storyline.**

**Leave a review if you want.**

**Thank you ^_^**


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